Portraits - 2nd prize
Afghan police recruits
Ton Koene
for <em>De Volkskrant</em>
for <em>De Volkskrant</em>
10 February, 2011
Recruits at a police training center run by Germany in Kunduz, Afghanistan.
Ton Koene
Ton Koene (48) holds a degree in humanitarian practice from Oxford University. After graduating in 1989, he worked for sixteen years for Médicins Sans Frontières (MSF), primarily...
Kunduz, Afghanistan
A new recruit at a police training center run by Germany in Kunduz, Afghanistan. Young men recruited into the Afghan police force are often from rural areas where education is poor, and are largely illiterate. Many join the police solely for financial reasons—a police officer earns about €130 a month—but their loyalty to the government is thin. Harsh working conditions, and the risk of being killed by the Taliban, lead to many leaving the force before their contract ends.
Through our education programs, the World Press Photo Foundation encourages diverse accounts of the world that present stories with different perspectives.
Our exhibitions showcase stories that make people stop, feel, think and act to a worldwide audience.
Our annual contest recognizes and rewards the best in photojournalism and documentary photography.
