There is great potential in everyone

Energy Needs in Protracted Displacement

Access to energy is essential for forcibly displaced people because it affects their health, education, living standards, safety, and the creation of livelihood activities, including micro, small and medium-scale enterprises. To achieve self-reliance and socioeconomic integration into society with dignity, displaced people need safe, affordable, accessible and reliable energy.

Creativity Builds Imagination

Creativity helps to open up a world of unlimited possibilities to vulnerable children and should be an integral part of early-stage psychosocial support for children living in camps and host communities.

Something is Happening to our Planet and Homes

Climate change is increasing weather-related disasters and affecting people’s lives, including young children, all over the world. This book demonstrates to young children the connection between the climate crisis, conflict and forced displacement. It follows Samuel and his family, who experience the sadness, loss, hunger and vulnerabilities that come with being forcibly displaced due to armed conflict and extreme weather events. This book aims to create awareness and educate children by demonstrating the impact of climate change and conflict on children, women, men, older people, families, displaced communities and host communities.

Climate Change, Natural Resource Conflicts, and Forced Displacements across West and Central Africa

The complexities and sensitivities surrounding the climate crisis, population growth, urbanisation, and evolving socio-economic and political systems are increasingly exacerbating the competition for natural resources, such as arable land and water, among farmers and transhumant herders across West and Central Africa. These issues have continued to linger, leading to conflicts, loss of life and property, destruction of livelihoods, as well as internal and cross-border displacements.

Forced Displacement in Africa

Countries across Africa are dealing with the effects of persistent armed conflict and climate-related disasters, including floods and droughts, which have exacerbated existing vulnerabilities, including food insecurity, water scarcity, tensions over land resources and natural resource conflicts. The interaction of these issues continues to drive up the number of people forced to flee their homes.

Practical and Sustainable Solutions in Protracted Displacement

Simple, practical, replicable and scalable solutions are critical to rebuilding lives with dignity in protracted displacement.

Closing the Transition Gap in Protracted Displacement

Forcibly displaced people need to be supported and empowered to achieve self-reliance. This helps to close the transition gap between the early phase of displacement and reintegration/resettlement. It also provides displaced people with the tools, resources and capacity required to rebuild their lives with dignity and choose their preferred form of reintegration.

Creativity and Art Promote Healing in Children

Children living in displacement can benefit from safe spaces where they can express themselves by engaging in different forms of creativity, such as games, dance, music, art, role-play, group activities and other culturally acceptable forms of expression. Creativity can help to build children’s imagination and communication skills, serving as an outlet for them to express their feelings, emotions, thoughts, experiences, ideas, hopes and dreams in their own way.

Books by Toluwalola

Learning gives children hope for a better future, and technology is an enabler – increasing access to sharing and learning. This free offline and online mobile app and web-enabled app will make my published children’s books easily available to vulnerable children, including internally displaced people. The Apps are focused on children living in camps or communities with intermittent or no internet connectivity. 

UNICEF Learning Passport

Through My Mother’s Eyes, an award-winning children’s book using stories and illustrations to depict the lives of children living in protracted displacement in camps and host communities is available for free on the UNICEF Learning Passport.

According to the 2023 annual report, the Learning Passport, which is a free mobile, online and offline platform for educational resources is live in 38 countries and now reaches over 10 million users.

The Learning passport was selected as one of Time’s 100 Best Innovations of 2021 and one of sixteen Education Lighthouses by the World Economic Forum in 2023.

Through My Mother’s Eyes

An award-winning children’s book using stories and illustrations to depict the lives of children living in protracted displacement in camps and host communities. It highlights some of the challenges they face, their dreams of a future outside the walls of the camp, and the tough decisions a mother has to make to provide for her family. Learning and education give them hope for a better future. However, not every child gets that chance. This book aims to help create awareness about their need for support while living in camps to help rebuild their lives with dignity.

Remember Me

This documentary tells the story of people who have been forced to flee their homes due to the Boko Haram conflict in North-East Nigeria and highlights some of their experiences living in camps and host communities. Despite all that they have been through, they have not given up on their dreams. This documentary shows their strength and resilience through the process of trying to rebuild their lives with dignity. It also demonstrates solutions that empower displaced persons to improve their state of mind, earn a living, and end their protracted displacement.
It aims to inform, educate and raise awareness.

International Film Festivals and Awards

Remember Me has received Seven (7) Official Selections at International Film Festivals, including Three (3) Awards and an Honourable Mention. These recognitions are a testament to the power of humanity and the stories of the people behind the numbers – the experiences, strength, resilience, and dreams of Internally Displaced People.

Story Telling – Rewriting Hollywood

Storytelling is critical for the global advocacy on forced displacement. From my perspective, rewriting Hollywood means telling more stories that focus on our shared humanity. We need to tell the untold stories and put more resources behind underrepresented and under supported people.