17 Jun 2014

Former convicts should go all out and expose themselves to the world and help change the mindset of the communities who judge them by their past mistakes.

These words were said by a 35-year-old ex-convict, Mr Gift Julius of Tutume in an interview recently. Mr Julius was critical of ex-convicts who kept on repeating the same offences that they were punished and served time for. 

“Being an ex-convict does not mean that it is the end of life. We ought to show the communities we live in that we have repented,” he said. 

In 2005, he was sentenced to three years imprisonment for an offence of stock theft. He said he did not regret the time he spent in prison but instead, it was a turning point as his life started to have a meaning after serving his sentence.

“I must admit that life in jail is not a bed of roses. However, I have no regrets because it opened my eyes and made me view life from a positive perspective,” he said.

He said while in jail, he went through counseling and also took up bible lessons and he learned skills such as welding, rubber joining and lining as well as carpentry.

After completion of his jail term, Mr Julius was determined to show the community that he had changed from the habit of stealing and also wanted to venture into something that would make him a better person. 

“I wanted to start up a business that would help me refrain from stealing and at the same time, I did not want the skills I acquired while in jail to go down the drain,” he said. For that reason, he established his own business, Jugos Rubber Recycling Investment. 

Operating from home, Mr Julius manufactures flower pots, cattle feeding troughs, braai stands, rubber chairs and dust bins and other ornaments from old car tyres and old metals.

“I have been looking for opportunities and thinking of something that requires a low start-up. Using materials regarded as waste was always on my mind and all I needed was to come up with something unique,” he said.

The vibrant Mr Julius started off making flower pots, which he donated to one of the local primary schools and soon his products were the talk of the village. People appreciated what he was doing and orders started flowing in. The business then benefitted from word of mouth marketing.

Mr Julius did not seat back because his business was running well. He instead went further and tried his luck with the Youth Development Fund (YDF) and was funded to the tune of P98 000. 

With the money, Mr Julius bought better machinery so as to produce good quality products to expand his business.

“One good aspect about the old tyres and metals I use is that they cost less. I normally buy the tyres from garages and sometimes I get them from Central Transport Organization (CTO) through auction sales. As for the metals, I get them from scrap yards,” he said.

The father of four said his customers were individuals from the village and farmers who specifically came for feeding troughs. He said the prices for dustbins and chairs range from P500 while the feeding troughs are sold at P750 and flower pots go for P200. 

The man has no complaints so far because through the profits he makes, he is able to provide for his family. He is also a staunch believer and member of Breath Life Ministries and did not allow his past mistakes to haunt and or hinder him. 

Throughout life’s trials, he remains persistent and focused because he knows he has a goal to achieve. ENDS