2016
File information | File dimensions | File size | Options |
Original JPG File | 5616 × 3744 pixels (21.03 MP) 18.7 in × 12.5 in @ 300 PPI |
4.5 MB | Download |
Website and Low resolution print | 2000 × 1333 pixels (2.67 MP) 6.7 in × 4.4 in @ 300 PPI |
522 KB | Download |
Screen | 850 × 567 pixels (0.48 MP) 2.8 in × 1.9 in @ 300 PPI |
133 KB | Download |
Preview | Screen Preview |
133 KB | View |
Named person(s)
Joel's real name is Issaka Sore
Date photo taken
23 February 2016
Country of origin
Burkina Faso
Region
Africa
Photo credit
James Souder
Themes
Education and training
Description
Caption for media: Peguewendé Savadogo jokes with Joel Saaga, a young man he mentored at Lieux de Vie, a residential, restorative justice organization for incarcerated youth. Saaga, whose real name is not used to protect his privacy, now works as a manager at a building supply store. (MCC Photo/James Souder)
More information:
In Burkina Faso, young non-violent offenders like Joel can face up to several years in prison for petty crimes like stealing a bike. Their incarceration strips them of the opportunity to continue school and reduces their likelihood of finding a job. Fortunately, three months into his sentence Joel heard about Lieux de Vie (Places of Life), an innovative program that uses restorative justice principles to provide apprenticeship opportunities to non-violent offenders, allowing them to gain trade skills and training them to become productive members of society. With approval from the prison’s judicial council, Joel spent the second half of his prison sentence working with a carpenter while living at Lieux de Vie facilities. After finishing his apprenticeship, Joel was faced with a decision: Would he return to his previous habits, or move forward by making an honest living? With encouragement from Lieux de Vie, Joel found a job at a hardware store delivering construction materials. After a year of manual labor, Joel was promoted to manage the shop and sell items to customers. Someday he hopes to open his own store and dreams of visiting the United States.
The program’s leader Peguewendé has a magnetic personality, an engaging smile, and an undying belief in finding the best qualities in every person regardless of bad decisions they have made. “At Lieux de Vie, we always focus on the future,” he says. “Dwelling on the past results in continual trauma, so we help participants learn from their mistakes and move on. We want to restore dignity to young offenders by giving them a bed, helping them rebuild relationships, and teaching them valuable life skills to help them integrate into society.”