Our dear friend, colleague, and leader of our women development team, Eunice Amoka-Bankole was a tireless sustainability and women development champion, respected by many for her ability to lead so meekly and courageously. Eunice led and conceptualized the Street Dreams project when we started out in 2017 working with multiple partners and seeking out funding to ensure the first cohort became a reality. With a unique smile and ever warm countenance, Eunice made our partners, beneficiaries and team feel empowered and excited about the work we did. Her keen eye for details and solving problems will always be remembered. To honor Eunice’s legacy and continue her work in empowering women and young girls, we have renamed the Street Dreams project to the Eunice Amoka-Bankole Street Dreams project.
Street Dreams uses the power of art and storytelling to empower young women in championing profitable environmental projects in their communities. The project works with an eco-feminist theory of change that believes that women’s empowerment goes hand in hand with environmental protection and vice-versa. All initiatives within the street dreams project have dual objectives to support women and also sustain the environment.
Our first street dreams project cohort held in 2018 where we trained 10 young, underrepresented women in the NigerDelta on environmental storytelling and supported them with cameras to launch out their own photography journeys. This project was generously supported by Lensational UK and Partnership in the Niger Delta (PIND). Beyond the photography skills the girls received, Lensationel also supported the girls with income through sales of their images online. Some of the photographs from the 1st cohort were also exhibited at the African Artist Foundation.
Two of our beneficiaries Maria, Victoria are now freelance and hired photographers in Nigeria.
Read the Street Dreams Cohort 1 Report – (external link)
We are now planning the 2nd Street Dreams Project on waste management and women empowerment.