43, Retreat, Cape Town
Bradley Freeman, a TCB Repair Graduate, overcame drug addiction and is now self-employed, running an appliance repair and sales business. He has eradicated poverty from his life and is financially and socially independent. Most importantly, he has dignity. Now, he is paying it forward.
Bradley Freeman is a graduate of the TCB Repair programme. He is a recovering addict and was struggling with drug addiction for 17 years before he got clean. He was homeless and slept in De Waal park for five years. One day, he had enough, and booked himself into rehab.
“Usually when you come out of rehab, you don’t know what to do. You need money, a place to stay, you need work to survive, but you have nothing behind your name. I had a criminal record for petty crime. Who would be willing to employ me? No one. Then I heard of TCB.“
Bradley enrolled in the Repair programme at TCB. During this intense 2-year enterprise development programme Bradley learned how to repair and sell appliances, how to budget, how to work with customers and more. He learnt how to run and grow an appliance repair business. “But the most important thing I learnt is how to manage my inner emotions and how to master myself. It was like my ‘second rehab’ and it changed my life,” says Bradley.
“Now I can hold my head up high in my community. I am a role model. People look up to me. I am 5 years 7 months clean now. My journey at TCB helped me integrate back into society. It boosted my confidence. I am financially independent now, but even more important than that – I have become a better person.“
Bradley is also paying it forward. He supports others who are coming out of rehab, giving them advice and support. At TCB he still acts as an Ambassador and coaches and mentors new Repair programme beneficiaries.