STRIVE provides opportunity for men and women to advance themselves in society with training and empowerment.

ACCOMPAGNATEUR WORSKSHOPS support men and women as they accept the past, see their lives in the present, and create their futures.

The hands of a retired warrior. My hands are a blessing, they express what I know, the scars within. They embody the strength I have gotten overtime to continue. Steven

Invisibility—What Is It and How Does It Feel?

In February 2024, Accompagnateur Workshops began a program with the Phipps Houses in the South Bronx. This photography workshop, in which the participants take portraits of one another as well as photograph their surroundings, apartments, family members, and neighborhood over four sessions held over four weeks, was organized around the concept of invisibility.

Society calls the participants, who all live in the Phipps Houses, and so many like them, “marginalized people.” In a very real sense, this definition robs them of their uniqueness and intrinsic value as human beings.

How appropriate, then, and how necessary, for a program to make them visible, both to themselves and to others. What a community was built, even over such a short time! The workshop put them at the center, not on the fringes where the wider society demands they stay. In only four sessions, both the creative act of photography and the circle work, talking about the photographs and the person in them by both the subject and the photographer, revealed and illuminated new aspects of each participant’s visibility and innate creativity.

In life, we feel visible and invisible.

We prim and pose for the camera, hoping to capture our visibility in freeze frame and capture our memories on film.

Dignity - State or quality of being worthy of honor or respect. I was born with dignity, yet I felt it being stripped away. Now I want it back. I now feel strong enough to deserve my dignity. Now I want, and I am, in dignity again.       Jessica

I had the privilege of participating in a specialized photography class designed for incarcerated individuals, and it had been a transformative experience. The program doesn't just teach photography; it restores dignity and empowers individuals who often feel forgotten.

Under the guidance of Saskia Keeley, and with access to essential digital photography equipment, I learned to see the world from a different perspective. Capturing moments through the lens allowed me to reconnect with my creative side and express myself in ways I never thought possible within the confines of a correctional facility.

More than technical skills, this class provided a sense of purpose and self-worth. It reminded me that I am capable of creating beauty even in challenging circumstances. It allowed me to tell my own story, and in doing so, regain a sense of dignity and identity.
I am grateful for Saskia's program and the opportunity it has given me to develop not only with new photography skills but as a person. It was a journey of self-discovery, empowerment, and a reminder that no matter where we are, our dignity and creativity can never be taken away.

I wholeheartedly endorse this program and hope that it continues to make a positive impact on the lives of incarcerated individuals who deserve a chance to rebuild their self-esteem and find their voice through photography.

Randy Z.

Mexico City, November 2022 

Dearest Saskia,

We wanted to write you this letter to express the deep gratitude that Reinserta has with you and your team, for all your support throughout the photo workshop, teaching men and women and showing them your sensitivity and empathy from day one. By inviting them to be open to their emotions, emotions who rarely come to light because they are people who are not used to expressing and sharing their feelings.

Something incredible we learned was that they do not have mirrors in prison, so seeing their photo was a reunion with themselves through their image. And as the days went by, we saw how their faces changed from the first photo taken to the last one. There were very emotional sessions where the whole team cried from all the experiences they shared through their photos.

Many women healed their body image issues by looking at the photos and how good they looked. With your guidance, it helped them reconcile the way they perceived themselves, rebuilding their self-esteem in what was reflected in each of their photos and how they expressed of their image.  

Reinserta's achievements would not be possible without the help of people like you who decide to join forces to work for a safer Mexico and who seek to position Reinserta as an association that fights for the human rights of children and juveniles in context of violence in our country.

On behalf of Reinserta’s foundation, 

thank you for your help in humanizing the stories behind men and woman who are imprisoned, and for helping us create a Mexico that rebuilds a sense of community every day.

We are eager for the Senate exhibition to happen!

With love,

The entire Reinserta team.