Two young people from Nigeria share their stories, and skills!

Meet the two young people from Street Project Foundation, a Voice Innovate and Learn grantee in Nigeria who tell us about their passion and the impact of Covid-19 on that.

My Name is Joseph Uhiene and I am a dancer and choreographer. I give private lessons to upcoming dancers and I also train dancers for events like music videos and weddings. I enjoy doing this because it keeps me fit and very busy. After all, I have to learn a diverse range of dancing styles. SPF has helped me brand my art, making a lot of difference in my life. I am always encouraged to try other art expressions in SPF and that has made my dancing techniques quite rich and unique.

I honestly hope that the pandemic is over soon because physical distancing affects my dance classes since most learners prefer one-on-one tutorials. However, putting more work online helps me to improve my editing skills and online presence, which is an opportunity!

My name is Uzoamaka Asiegbu. I am a creative writer, a freelance writer and a disability advocate. The fact that I can share my thoughts, ideas and experiences with others through storytelling and creative writing is my first motive to write.

In freelance writing, I enjoy the aspect of getting to know more about life through the stories, experiences and ideas of my clients. I am also particular about the feeling of contentment my clients get when I help them achieve their goals.

Street Project Foundation through the Creative Youth Boot Camp helped me understand that my creative art isn’t just a hobby I indulge in but a skill I can develop to use and make a difference in my community and the world at large. Street Project has also exposed me to many opportunities where I can explore my talents, including scriptwriting, disability advocacy, leadership, etc.

The various challenges facing freelance writers as a result of the pandemic is that most organizations, brands and individual clients who require written content are temporarily out of service and no longer require the services of freelance writing. On the other hand, lots of opportunities abound for creative writers as the COVID-19 pandemic came with various experiences, stories, ideas, themes to write on.

Compilation by Emmanuel Oladele, Project Associate, Co-Creation Hub Nigeria