Week 14 Post 1 Ted Talks

Ted Talks
"From death row to law graduate" Peter Manson Ouko, 2017

• "Manson was known by a number, he was just a statistic" Peter describes his feelings as he waits on death row, never knowing if it was 2 days away or 2 months 
• begins to mobilize fellow inmates to write letters, using their constitution in Kenya as evidence 
• first graduate from University of London while in the prison system, Law graduate from UK helped him set up program and he was able to graduate 2 years later
• African prison project helps inmates study law and get their degree in order to seek justice 
• Peter is now seeking to work with the project and start the first college behind bars
• urges to not play victim narrative, to re-evaluate your circumstances and situation, think you can and you will 

"What I learned from serving time for a crime I didn't commit" Teresa Njoroge, 2017 

• was locked up in largest maximum security prison in Kenya 
• no evidence she had any wrongdoing- was a bank manager and was told she had committed fraudulent activity
• searching her as she entered prison, they took away her humanity, her prison number was her new identity 
• crime was not what brought most of the women to prison but instead their lack of access to good healthcare, education and lack of economic opportunities - we need to help change their mindsets and behaviors, build bridges into prisons from corporate sector so they can have training for new jobs, they want to contribute to society yet  often lack the opportunity