If you snooze, you lose

Photographer

Philipp Schmieja

Category

Film Photography - Documentary / Photojournalism

Company

Submission Group

Amateur

Year

2026

Country / Region:

Germany

Yao has to hand over 3.000 CFA to his boss every day without fail. Apart from that, he has to divide some of his earnings with the traffic police. So, he starts the day already in debt. Yao, like many other tuk-tuk drivers, works long hours ferrying people across Bouake's (Ivory Coast) inner-city neighbourhoods. “You can work the whole day and go home empty-handed” Yao says. There’s no bitterness in his voice, just reality. Hope is a quiet companion. You learn to take the losses with wins, keep your foot light on the pedal, and wake up the next day ready to do it all again.