#MyLegalAidStory: Bill Ferry

UBill Ferry ungummeli ozinikele ozibophezele ekusebenziseni amakhono akhe ukuze enze umehluko ezimpilweni zabantu base-Ohio abanganakiwe. Intshisekelo yakhe yokuvolontiya ngeLegal Aid yaqala lapho owayefunda naye eCleveland State University College of Law ekhuthaza uBill ukuba anikele ngeLegal Aid, futhi ngokushesha wazithola esehileleke kukho kokubili. Imitholampilo Yezeluleko Kafushane eLorain nasezindabeni zomuntu ngamunye ezivela ku Thatha uhlelo lwe-Case.

Lezi zenzakalo zamsiza ukuba abone ukubaluleka kokufinyelela labo emiphakathini yethu abangenakho kalula ukuthola usizo lwezomthetho. UBill ukubeke enhliziyweni lokhu, akasebenzi nje e-Lorain kodwa nase-Oberlin Brief Advice Clinics, njengoba ingane yakhe encane ifunda e-Oberlin College. 

Nakuba kuBill, ukuvolontiya ngoSizo Lwezomthetho kungaphezu nje kwendlela yokubuyisela: kuyindlela yokusebenzisa amandla abameli abanawo ukuze benze ushintsho oluhle. “Njengoba ngangingumfundi wezomthetho, omunye woprofesa bami wathi ukuba ummeli kwakuzonginika amandla amakhulu. Ekuqaleni, ngangingazi ukuthi lokho kusho ukuthini, kodwa ngiye ngathola ukuthi lapho ngikhuluma enkantolo, iNkantolo iyakukholelwa engikushoyo; lapho ngibhala izincwadi noma izicelo zomthetho, ngithinta amalungelo nezibopho zabantu ezingokomthetho; lapho ngibandakanya umphakathi engxoxweni evamile, balindele izimpendulo ezicophelelayo nezilungile. Njengabameli, ngempela sinikezwe amandla amakhulu—kanye nomthwalo ofanele. "

UMthethosivivinywa uyasiqonda isisindo somthwalo ohambisana nokuba ummeli, futhi ukholelwa ukuthi abameli banomsebenzi wokunikeza usizo lwezomthetho kulabo abangakwazi ukukukhokhela. Uyabona ukuthi izigidi zabantu base-Ohio kumele babambe iqhaza ezinqubweni zezomthetho, nokho abaningi kakhulu abakwazi ukukhokhela ukumelwa ezindabeni lapho ukumelwa kungaqinisekisiwe. 

Umbono kaBill oguquguqukayo usukela ngokwengxenye endleleni yakhe engeyona eyendabuko yomthetho: wachitha iminyaka eminingana esebenza emkhakheni wamakhompiyutha ngemva kokuqeda esikoleni esiphakeme kanye nasebhange ngemva kwekolishi, ngaphambi kokuthola iziqu zakhe zomthetho ngesikhathi sokuphakama kwe-Great Recession. Isizinda sakhe esihlukene kanye nezifundo zakhe zeziqu zezomnotho nesayensi yezepolitiki zimkhonze kahle, okuvumela uBill ukuthi akhe umkhuba ophumelelayo emthethweni webhizinisi kanye nokuhlelwa kwezindlu. 

Naphezu kwesimiso sakhe esimatasa, uBill usazibophezele ekuvolontiyeni nge-Legal Aid ngoba uyawuqonda umehluko omkhulu ukungenelela kwezomthetho okufika ngesikhathi okungawenza ezimpilweni zamaklayenti. Ubona indima yakhe njengommeli njengokususa impi ezindabeni zomthetho nokusiza amakhasimende ukuthi athole izixazululo ezinengqondo nezisebenzisekayo ezinkingeni zawo zomthetho.

UBill Ferry ungummeli ophumelele ozibophezele ngokujulile ekuvolontiyeni ngeLegal Aid ukuze ahlinzeke ngosizo lwezomthetho kubantu base-Ohio abangasikiwe. Ukholelwa ukuthi abameli banomsebenzi wokusebenzisa amandla abo ngokuhle futhi basize labo abangenawo amandla okummela. Ngokuzibandakanya kwakhe neLegal Aid, uBill wenza umehluko omkhulu ezimpilweni zamakhasimende akhe kanye nasemphakathini wakhe. 

I-Legal Aid ihalalisela ukuzikhandla kwethu pro bono amavolontiya. Ukuze uhlanganyele, vakashela iwebsite yethu, noma i-imeyili probono@lasclev.org.