Hy was maar 14 jaar oud toe hy die eerste keer begin dagga rook het. <\/p>\n
Nadat hy op 15-jarige ouderdom by \u2019n bende aangesluit het, het tik en Mandrax later gevolg.<\/p>\n
Die keerpunt in sy lewe het egter gekom die dag toe sy tweejarige seuntjie langs hom op die bed sit en vir hom s\u00ea hy is honger. <\/p>\n
Daardie woorde het Branden Booysen (31) van Esselenpark in Worcester s\u00f3 diep geraak dat hy besluit het om hulp vir sy dwelmprobleem en roekelose leefstyl te gaan soek.<\/p>\n
Change Makers in Worcester het hom gehelp om sy lewe weer op koers te kry en vandag is hy \u2019n baken van hoop vir jong mans wat in die greep van dwelms en bendeverwante aktiwiteite vasgevang is. <\/p>\n
Change Makers is \u2019n bediening wat jong mans help om uit die greep van bendes en dwelms te kom sodat hulle heelheid en vervulling in die lewe kan vind. <\/p>\n
Booysen (31) s\u00ea in \u2019n openhartige onderhoud aan Standard Breederivier Gazette<\/span> dat hy sonder \u2019n pa in \u2019n onstabiele huishouding grootgeword het. <\/p>\n \u201cEk is op laerskool geboelie. Ek kon niemand by die huis vertel van dit waardeur ek op skool gaan nie en moes alles inhou. Ek het nie geweet hoe om daarmee te deal<\/span> nie. Dit was glad nie lekker by die huis nie. <\/p>\n \u201cEk was 15 jaar oud toe ek by \u2019n bende betrokke geraak het. Daardie was my familie. Vir my het dit gevoel ek hoort tussen hulle, want hulle het my verstaan, na my omgesien en my verdedig wanneer ek in die moeilikheid was.<\/p>\n \u201cEk het al daardie opgekropte woede waarmee ek geloop het, buite express<\/span> deur middel van geweld en dwelmmisbruik.\u201d <\/p>\n Booysen s\u00ea sy bende-betrokkenheid het hom later genoop om skool \u2013 vir sy eie veiligheid \u2013 op die 15-jarige ouderdom te verlaat, want daar was ander bendes by dieselfde skool. <\/p>\n Hy s\u00ea elke dag was daar \u2019n bakleiery op skool. <\/p>\n \u201cTussen 2009 en 2013 was my lewe deurmekaar. Ek het myself heeltemal verloor. Ek was baie aktief in die bende. <\/p>\n \u201cEk het mense beroof en seergemaak. <\/p>\n \u201cEk het uiteindelik \u2019n manier gevind om al my woede en verwerping buite te express<\/span>. <\/p>\n \u201cDit het my baie wreed gemaak. Ek was roekeloos.\u201d<\/p>\n Hy vertel sy lewe het \u2019n verdere knou gekry toe sy vriendin, saam met wie hy \u2019n seuntjie het, hom in 2014 toe hy (Booysen) so 22 jaar oud was, uit die huis geskop het weens sy betrokkenheid by bendes en omdat hy haar lewe hel gemaak het. <\/p>\n Volgens Booysen het hy op \u2019n dag in Mei 2015 op sy bed in sy ouerhuis gel\u00ea. Sy tweejarige seuntjie het langs hom op die bed gesit. <\/p>\n \u201cToe hy vir my s\u00ea \u2018daddy, ek is honger\u2019, het ek hartseer gevoel vir hom. Ek het gevoel ek is nie \u2019n goeie pa vir hom nie en dat ek hom teleurgestel het. <\/p>\n \u201cEk s\u00ea toe vir myself \u2018dit stop vandag\u2019. Daai dag toe loop ek deur Riverview \u2013 waar ek as gevolg van my bende-betrokkenheid nooit voorheen geloop het nie \u2013 reguit Toevlug toe.\u201d<\/p>\n Hy s\u00ea in 2016 was hy deel van \u2019n program wat deur die Change Makers aangebied is. In Augustus daardie jaar het hy sy hart vir die Here gegee. <\/p>\n \u201cDie Change Makers het my gehelp met my dwelm- en ander persoonlike probleme.\u201d <\/p>\n Booysen s\u00ea toe hy die program n\u00e1 ses maande voltooi het, het hy vir die Change Makers begin werk. Deesdae gee hy onder meer leiding aan jong mans wat uit die greep van bendes en dwelms wil kom. <\/p>\n \u201cDie Change Makers het my geleer om verantwoordelikheid te aanvaar. \u201cHulle het my geleer hoe om my man te staan \u2013 sonder geweld.\u201d <\/p>\n Volgens Booysen het hy in 2023 in die huwelik getree. Hy s\u00ea sy vrou het hom baie tydens sy helingsproses gehelp. Hy het ook by haar geleer hoe om weer lief te h\u00ea.<\/p>\n \u201cEk sien hoe die Here elke dag vir my deurkom. Ek is gelukkig, standvastig en het \u2019n goeie verhouding met die Here. Ek het weer hoop.\u201d <\/p>\n Sy raad aan jong mans, wat in die greep van bendes en dwelms vasgevang is, is: \u201cNeem die Here in jou lewe aan. Dit is hoe ek dit reggekry het en daar is altyd mense wat bereid is om te help.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hy was maar 14 jaar oud toe hy die eerste keer begin dagga rook het.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":43713,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"71bc9536-e31f-4652-8cf2-967c4834901c","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"","article_feature_type":"","article_main_image_caption":"","article_media_icon":"","article_template":"","author_byline":"Enrico Claassen","background_color":"","block_editor":"","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[],"pongrass_image":[],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-43711","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n