Association Kinouete works with detainees in order to accompany, listen and guide its beneficiaries through their rehabilitation and reintegration process in a professional manner so that they may recover their dignity and autonomy. Their vision is that each detained is a person that is entitled to a second change and is capable of leading a successful life.Kinouete’s project related with youth target beneficiaries are youth in the Correctional Youth Centre, youth at the Rehabilitation Youth Centre, children of current or ex-detainees and teenagers who are at risk in general. The aim of the project is to equip the beneficiaries for employment and reduce recidivism amount juveniles and therefore reducing the adult prison population.The
objectives of the project are:
- To prevent RYC and CYC detainees from ending up in the adult prisons
- To help RYC and CYC youth to begin their youth life with better goals and tools for a successful life
- To inculcate a healthy lifestyle through sports
- To help reduce their vulnerabilities due to deficient parents’ role which impacts the children’s development.
Activities carried out in line with these objectives are:
- Life skills development
- Counselling
- Accompaniment
- Family support
- Family mediation
- Prevention session in detention centers on HIV/AIDS, drugs, etc…
- Camping with children of ex detainees to give them a chance to express themselves outside the home
- Referral to other organisations
- Enrolment for training
- Material support for food and clothes
The
partners for this project are:
- The Mauritius Prison Services
- Kollektif Drwa Zanfa, which Kinouete is a member of
- Aids Right Alliance for Southern Africa
- Mauritius Sports Council who has a good relationship with the detention centers and is able to take the youth out for a sports day
Budget| ITEM | COST(MUR) |
| HUMAN RESOURCES INCL. ADMIN COST | 1,040,000 |
| TRAVEL | 90,000 |
| MATERIALS/EQUIPMENTS | 125,000 |
| EMERGENCY SUPPORT TO BENEFICIARIES | 175,000 |
| TRAINING FOR BENEFICIARIES | 400,000 |
| ACTIVITIES FOR BENEFICIARIES | 80,000 |
| TOTAL COSTS | 1,910,000 |
BeneficiariesMore father than mothers have been willing to engage in the program. Therefore the ratio of men to women is around 33%.
| Category | Women and girls | Men and boys | Total |
| Direct beneficiaries | 59 | 75 | 134 |
| Indirect beneficiaries (e.g. through other networks) | 130 | 200 | 430 |
| Online beneficiaries (e.g. website access, mailing lists, scholarly articles) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 189 | 275 | 564 |
Monitoring and Evaluation- The monitoring is done via the action plan done together with the beneficiary
- Each beneficiary has an action plan
- The evaluation of the objectives and action are done every months
- Regular phone calls and site visits are conducted during the month
- In the detention centres the presence and participation of the beneficiaries are monitored by both Association Kinouete and the authorities
- Number of ex detainees and juveniles who do not return to prison/juvenile detention centres
- Monthly statistics are provided by the social workers and counsellors to monitor the work done and identify weak points. The statistics are reflected in the NGO’s KPI
- Results
- 96% success rate
- Successful training and employment
- Reintegrate their family structure
- Successful links with other institutions
- 3 ex RYC Youths employed in hotels after having successfully completed the PEJ in 2018
Challenges and Lessons learned:- LISTEN to the need of the beneficiary instead of deciding for him/her (training and supervision done with the staff)
- Find the appropriate training for the youths in detention (MITD was solicited)
- Finding a shelter for girls and boys who have nowhere to go after release
- Parents had to accept that their children also need help (via counselling and site visits)
- Convince the authorities that the youths need appropriate pedagogical and training tools for after release (several meetings were held)
- Partner with the Mauritius Sports Council for sports training outside the RYC boys and girls (Tennis, judo, Swimming, Gym at Moving, etc..)
Lessons learnt:
- Trust between the NGO and the authorities is as important as the trust with the beneficiaries
- Youth rehabilitation and reintegration takes time and involves a lot from stakeholders and families
Application:
- Improve communication line with stakeholders and families
Next steps:
- Implement a support group for the youth and mothers
- Have the families involve in the training of their children
- Escalate the sports activities within adult prison settings
- Increase interventions in Schools and universities
