{"id":27061,"date":"2016-02-21T15:41:29","date_gmt":"2016-02-21T20:41:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=27061"},"modified":"2025-07-14T12:35:08","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T16:35:08","slug":"salt-photojournalist-documents-mcc-and-partner-projects-in-burkina-faso-while-teaching-photography-skills-to-locals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2016\/salt-photojournalist-documents-mcc-and-partner-projects-in-burkina-faso-while-teaching-photography-skills-to-locals\/","title":{"rendered":"SALT photojournalist documents MCC and partner projects in Burkina Faso, while teaching photography skills to locals"},"content":{"rendered":"

In ninth grade, a bird\u2019s nest changed the course of James Souder\u2019s life. While playing around with his family\u2019s simple point-and-shoot camera, Souder snapped a photo of a nest in his backyard to see what was inside. The bright blue eggs and recently hatched chick, mouth wide open, begging for food, surprised and delighted Souder.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had captured a perfect moment completely by accident,\u201d Souder said. Ever since then, the 2013 Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) graduate was hooked.<\/p>\n

Today, this passion, along with a major in environmental sustainability<\/a>, landed Souder in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, as a photojournalist through Mennonite Central Committee\u2019s Serving and Learning Together <\/a>(SALT) program.<\/p>\n

\"Souder\"<\/a>
James Souder, camera in hand, is in Burkina Faso for an 11-month assignment. (MCC Photo\/Ben Weisbrod)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Until a few months before his service began, the possibility of volunteer service \u201cwasn\u2019t really on my radar as an option,\u201d Souder said. \u201cI was in the process of applying for grad school when the country reps from Burkina Faso reached out to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Souder has deferred his acceptance into Yale University, where he will study environmental management, to spend 11 months documenting the successes of various projects supported by Mennonite Central Commitee (MCC) and introducing the people that run those projects to the rest of the world. He works with Burkina Faso country representatives Sarah and Adam Sensamaust \u201803.<\/p>\n

Hopes photos will change Western perspectives<\/h3>\n

Souder is one of 9 recent EMU graduates in the SALT program<\/a> this year. However, unlike most SALTers, Souder\u2019s position gives him the opportunity to work with many partners, instead of just a singular organization, offering a wider contextual understanding of Burkina Faso.<\/p>\n

With his work, he hopes to help change the perspective that many Westerners have of what life is like in African countries.<\/p>\n

\u201cBurkina Faso is filled with brilliant, vibrant, resilient, individual people, not just poverty. I want to tell the story of people who are investing in their community and improving life for themselves and their fellow Burkinabe,\u201d Souder said.<\/p>\n

MCC Burkina Faso<\/a> supports different projects across the country relating to sustainable livelihoods, food security, health, education, peace and restorative justice. Along with documenting the work of MCC partners, Souder is also training staff and local Burkinabe with the skills to continue the storytelling when his service concludes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe people that we\u2019re supporting often know the best way to improve their own situations, they just might lack the resources to do so. Our role is to support and empower them rather than telling them, \u2018This is what we want you to do, this is how things are done,\u2019\u201d Souder said.<\/p>\n

\"Burkina<\/a>
MCC Burkina Faso partner Lieux de Vie teaches trade skills such as carpentry to formerly imprisoned youth, using restorative justice practices to integrate non-violent offenders back into society. (MCC Photo\/James Souder)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Serving and singing<\/h3>\n

This kind of work is not new for Souder. Before volunteering with MCC, he worked for a variety of nonprofits: \u00a0Food Recovery Network<\/a>, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council<\/a> and Pittsburgh Urban Leadership Service Experience<\/a> (PULSE)\u00a0 to name a few.<\/p>\n

\u201cEMU played big part in the trajectory of my work. EMU is very focused on service and teaching students how to serve and lead in the global context,\u201d Souder said. \u201cAt EMU, I realized I can make a life outside the typical job field. There are many opportunities to work by following your passions.\u201d<\/p>\n

As most SALTers do, Souder lives with a host family. He says the program encourages its volunteers \u201cto get involved and invested in our close community.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Souder, a singer since his early days in the Shenandoah Valley Children\u2019s Choir, <\/a>that has meant joining the choir at the Mennonite church in Ouagadougou. Unlike most choirs he’s participated in, this one is quite small with four to 10 singers per week, and not everyone can read music.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe choir director is a lovely woman from France who has lived in Burkina Faso for many years, and she very patiently teaches each voice part to every person,\u201d said Souder, who considers singing a strong part of his identity. \u201cThis has been a great way for me to meet new people, practice my French, contribute to the worship service, and wind down after a week at work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Witnessing political turmoil<\/h3>\n
\"Adama<\/a>
Adama Kabore, the president of a farmer’s group in Kolghinguesse, Burkina Faso, proudly displays his sorghum harvest. His village received support from MCC partner Office of Development of Evangelical Churches through a program that works toward food security by teaching farmers sustainable agriculture techniques. (MCC Photo\/James Souder)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A terrorist attack in January 2016 wasn\u2019t the first time that Souder has been close to violence in Burkina Faso. Before his arrival, Burkina Faso had been weathering political turmoil since October 2014, when former president Blaise Compaor\u00e9 attempted to continue his rule by amending the constitution to extend his 27-year term without democratic election, and the country erupted into violent protests. After almost a year under an interim government, an elite branch of the military launched a coup d\u2019etat shortly after Souder arrived in the capital of Ouagadougou.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a room connected to the house, so I just stayed in my little compound for an entire week, but I was very well taken care of. My host family and MCC staff kept me up to date on what was happening,\u201d Souder said. \u201cIt was scary, but we made it through.\u201d<\/p>\n

In late November, Burkina Faso experienced its first ever successful democratic election, an event that left Souder humbled.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Burkinabe] banded together, kept everyone accountable [after the coup d\u2019etat], and kept that trajectory until the election period was over,\u201d Souder said. \u201cI\u2019m really inspired by Burkinabe \u2026 Burkina Faso means \u2018Land of Upright or Honorable People,\u2019 and they have definitely lived up to that standard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Back at work now, Souder continues to take photos, which he shares on a widely followed Instagram account<\/a>, and to explore his new home.<\/p>\n

\u201cI highly recommend the SALT program \u00a0to any young people interested in expanding their global perspective,\u201d Souder said. \u201cIt\u2019s a big world out there. Go out and explore!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In ninth grade, a bird\u2019s nest changed the course of James Souder\u2019s life. While playing around with his family\u2019s simple point-and-shoot camera, Souder snapped a photo of a nest in ... read more about SALT photojournalist documents MCC and partner projects in Burkina Faso, while teaching photography skills to locals<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27063,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[266,5643,12507],"tags":[6472,13558,9502],"feature":[],"class_list":["post-27061","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-environmental-sustainability","category-vaca","tag-adam-sensamaust","tag-james-souder","tag-salt"],"yoast_head":"\nSALT photojournalist documents MCC and partner projects in Burkina Faso, while teaching photography skills to locals - EMU News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2016\/salt-photojournalist-documents-mcc-and-partner-projects-in-burkina-faso-while-teaching-photography-skills-to-locals\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"SALT photojournalist documents MCC and partner projects in Burkina Faso, while teaching photography skills to locals - EMU News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In ninth grade, a bird\u2019s nest changed the course of James Souder\u2019s life. 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