Transforming Lives Behind Bars and Beyond | Gavin's Story
Fundraising goal: R250,000
Programme accepted by Pollsmoor - funding is what will launch the program and keep it running
Gavin grew up in Rocklands, Mitchells Plain. He lost his mother as a child. He fell into addiction, joined prison gangs, and was incarcerated at Pollsmoor for aggravated robbery. By every measure, his story was heading in one direction.
Then it changed. And now Gavin is the person he once needed, leading the men's programme inside Pollsmoor for men walking the same road he once walked. Alongside him, Kirsten Adams leads the women's programme, bringing the same depth of commitment to every woman preparing to return to society.
Most people who are incarcerated will return to society. That is not an opinion, it is a fact. The question is not whether they come back. The question is who they come back as, and whether anyone invested in giving them a different set of tools.
Without structured support, many people leave Pollsmoor and return to the same environments, networks, and survival patterns that led to incarceration in the first place. Not because they want to, but because change without support is almost impossible.
Gang culture inside prison makes this harder still. It reinforces identity and loyalty in ways that follow people outside the gates. A programme that understands that culture, led by people who have lived inside it - creates a different kind of conversation.
This is preventative work. Every rand invested in a person before they leave Pollsmoor is a rand that may prevent harm, restore a family, and change what a community looks like five years from now.
Meet Gavin Hare
Gavin grew up in Rocklands, Mitchells Plain - an area long shaped by gang activity, substance abuse, and systemic poverty. His childhood was marked by instability: his father spent time in prison, the family experienced repeated financial hardship, and at times they had no stable housing.
He lost his mother young, under traumatic circumstances, and carried that grief into a life that gradually unravelled. He turned to substances to cope. He became involved in crime. He was arrested for aggravated robbery and incarcerated at Pollsmoor, where he entered the number gang system and experienced firsthand how prison hardens rather than heals.
Change did not come quickly or easily. Gavin tried to change his life more than once before it took. His turning point came when he reached a place of complete exhaustion with the path he was on and when he witnessed someone he knew rebuild their life after more than 30 years on the streets. That moment cracked something open. For the first time, change felt possible.
Today, Gavin works as a Peer Field Worker with the Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID), helping vulnerable people on the streets reconnect with support and family. He has his own home. He has built a life of stability, purpose, and leadership from a foundation that once nearly destroyed him.
His credibility is not despite his past. It is because of it. The men inside Pollsmoor will not be spoken to by someone who has read about their reality. They will be guided by someone who has lived it.
Meet Kirsten Adams
Kirsten Adams leads the women's programme at Pollsmoor with care, structure, and deep understanding of the specific challenges women face upon release. Together, Gavin and Kirsten ensure that every participant, regardless of gender, receives the same quality of structured support as they prepare to return to their communities.
What the Programme Provides
- Life coaching before release - mindset, decision-making, emotional regulation, and accountability
- Gangster reform sessions - addressing gang identity and the work of stepping away from that culture
- Practical reintegration support - employment, housing, family reconnection, and identity outside of prison
- Printed life coaching workbooks for every participant
- Introduction and completion ceremonies - beginning and ending each journey with dignity
- Community follow-up after release - support that does not stop at the gate
What Your Donation Makes Possible
Our fundraising goal is R250,000. Every rand goes directly toward:
- Facilitator stipends and transport
- Life coaching workbooks and session materials
- Introduction and completion sessions
- Storytelling documentation to capture participant journeys
- Community reintegration support after release
Your contribution at a glance:
- R250 - one printed life coaching workbook
- R500 - facilitator transport for one session
- R2,500 - one full month of coaching sessions
No amount is too small. Every contribution is a vote of confidence that people can change.
Your Donation is Tax-Deductible - Section 18A
Dr. Phil-Afel Foundation is a registered Public Benefit Organisation (PBO No. 930083356) with Section 18A approval from SARS. Your donation qualifies for a tax deduction when you file your annual return.
To receive your Section 18A tax certificate, email admin@drphilafel.foundation after donating and we will issue it promptly.
How to Donate
You can donate online via BackaBuddy, or directly into our bank account:
Donate via Direct Bank Transfer
Bank: First National Bank (FNB)
Account Name: Dr. Phil-Afel Foundation NPC
Account Number: 63093493509
Branch Code: 250655
Reference: ECD + Your Name
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Most people will return to society. The question is who they return as and whether anyone gave them the tools to choose differently.
Dr. Phil-Afel Foundation | PBO No. 930083356
Section 18A Approved
admin@drphilafel.foundation
www.drphilafel.foundation
