Giving the homeless a voice
Homeless people are perhaps the most marginalized group in society. Those who sleep rough on the street are often ignored by the wider public, but Paris local Martin Besson has more empathy than most.
Despite having a home to go to, the 18-year-old chose to spend a night on the street to see what it was like to be homeless. The experience was confronting, and spurred the high school student into action. Last year he launched Sans A, an organization that aims to draw attention to the plight of homeless people – by giving them a voice on social media.
Martin spends his free time getting to know the less fortunate in Paris, and uploading their stories for the public to read. The idea, he says, is to break down the barriers between homeless people and the rest of society.
Listen to the report by Fabien Jannic-Cherbonnel in Paris.
Martin Besson helps the down and out in Paris (Photo: F. Jannic-Cherbonnel)
Sans A shares the stories and portraits of Parisian homeless people online
Martin wants the public to get to know homeless people like Cyril (Photo: F. Jannic-Cherbonnel)
Sans A hopes to lend an ear to the less fortunate (Photo: Fotalia)
