Alex Masi

Marvin, 20 years old, former gangster, by a wall of a school close to the impoverished area of Heideveld, Cape Town, RSA. Marvin was a hit-man, working also for different gangs such as 'The Americans' and the 'Junior Mafia' between the age of 15 and 19. He grow up in the mainly 'coloured' area of Heideveld, where unemployment is rife and gangs are flourishing. He was also addicted by Crystal Meth (aka 'tik'), a dangerous chemical drug very common in South Africa's poorest neighbourhoods. Thanks to his family he was helped to get out of the gangs and to join a free academy for skills development aimed at empowering troubled youths through training and discipline, called Chrysalis (www.chrysalisacademy.org.za). He finished a three month course there and he is now about to start working in the tourism industry; he know the wrongs has done and he does not want to go back to that life anymore. Chrysalis aim at reducing the levels of crime and violence in the Western Cape by transforming 'youth at risk' into strong, positive community leaders of the future through intensive continuous training. Marvin is actually heading life orientation lessons to institutes as the School of Hope, in Athlone, Cape Town, where troubled young kids at risk are getting education (run by Thembalitsha.org.za a local NGO).