When Ugandan youth commit crimes of murder of theft they are sent to the Naguru Prison in Kampala. The warden grants me approval to photograph inside the prison, and I meet Alex, a 16 year old boy who is months away from completing his 2- year sentence.
“What are you going to do when you get out, Alex?” I ask him as the suns sets behind him.
Alex lifts his eyes from the dirt at his feet, and he looks me in the eye, and says, “ I want to be a pilot or a journalist.. I know it will be difficult to reenter the society and regain the trust of everyone, my family included. But I remember reading in the Bible somewhere that the ‘Lord has plans for me…plans of a new hope and future.,’ or something like that. That is why I go out with confidence and courage. God will be with me.”
The young prisoners desire is a second chance. We all desire a second chance…and most of us, me included, often need third or fourth chances. Alex and his friends are working hard to prepare themselves for this second chance. They spend their days learning new skills, exercising, praying and singing songs of praise to God for their second chance.
As I spent the next 2 hours in the prison with Alex and his friends, I was reminded of the fears that I carry every day. Fears of what people will think, fears of failure, and fears of the unknown. There is no need to put me behind prison bars to strike fear in me…I am pretty good at imprisoning myself with fear. Behind locked doors and barbed wired fence, a 16 year old prisoner reminded me of my own fear and my failure to take advantage of the freedom God has granted me. Thanks for my second chance, God.
The photographs below are of the Naguru prison in Entebbe Uganda. I spent 2 hours with the prisoners as they played, exercised, ate, worshiped and prayed. Alex is the young man using my camera to photograph his friends.
