Often times, men are known for some type of jobs in this part of the world, especially Africa with few people giving opportunities to the women folk as they believe their major job is to bear and rear children as well as take care of their home.

Despite finding herself in a male dominated environment, Taibat Ajiboye, a graduate of Biochemistry from the Kwara State University, Ilorin, Kwara State, decided to create a new niche for herself by delving into photography with her specialty in Documentary Photography.

This area of focus has helped her to impact the lives of many people.

Photography

According to Ajiboye, who is currently a lecturer in the Biochemistry Department, University of Abuja (UniAbuja):

“I started photography services during my final year in the university and have not stopped since then. “I started photography in 2017 as a final year student in the university; it was a transformation from graphic designing to editing of pictures and then photography because I saw the need to do more which photography provided me.

“I attended a workshop ‘Unabashed’ which was a pivotal event in my photography journey. And as a passionate storyteller, I am driven by the zeal to continuously narrate impactful stories, always, hoping to create change through my art.

“Documentary Photography allows me to express myself, address issues of concerns, create awareness and drive change for social impact.

I bet no other form of photography will grant me this much privilege that I have got and I am forever glad I chose this path.”

NGO

Her quest to narrate stories from different perspectives about people especially the less privileged ones who don’t have opportunity to see people hearing their stories led her to establish the Revamp Art Media Agency in February, 2022.

The UniAbuja lecturer said she decided to start the agency, which is a non-governmental organisation (NGO), with the aim of transforming the lives of citizens by leveraging art and creativity.

Ajiboye said the goal of the NGO is to change lives, tell stories of people especially the less privileged, the underserved, and the underprivileged for social change.

Similarly, it will build brands and help tell stories through the power of artistic expression which led her to visit the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp in Abuja. Ajiboye said: “I visited the IDP camp in Abuja to tell stories about the existence, way of life and manner of displaced persons in the camp.

I constantly wondered how they fare, what they eat and I wonder if their children go to school, to health facilities and conditions under which they live. It was an intentional visit to document this residence of the camp, tell their stories to the world and provide a positive change in their lives.”

Pregnant IDP

In one of her visits, she and her team met Saadatu Adamu, the 21-year-old lady with a seven-year-old daughter and already pregnant with another baby. She revealed that the story of Saadatu was very pathetic as she was displaced from her Gowza hometown in Borno State, Nigeria, in 2014 as an 11-year-old.

The once peaceful hometown already turned into a battlefield due to the violent onslaught of Boko Haram, forcing her and her husband to flee for their lives.

The family embarked on a perilous journey to Adamawa State where they experienced the same attack and eventually found refuge in an IDP camp in Abuja two years ago.

“Life in the IDP camp was far from the haven they had hoped for. The facilities were deplorable with horrendous living conditions, inadequate sanitation, and scarce medical supplies.

“Imagine Saadatu, already traumatised by the displacement, faced another blow. She contracted a severe infection that lingered due to the poor living conditions and lack of proper medical care.

“The infection took a devastating toll on Saadatu, then pregnant at the time, leading to a heart-breaking miscarriage. The loss was unbearable. Yet, she continued to fight for the sake of her family.

“Now, Saadatu is six months pregnant again, living each day in constant fear of another miscarriage. The infection still plagues her body, exacerbated by the camp’s unhygienic environment.

She endures each day with the hope of giving birth to a healthy child, but the fear of history repeating itself is a shadow she cannot escape.”

The young lecturer continued by describing Saadatu’s story as one of silent cries and unseen struggles. Her resilience in the face of relentless hardship is a testament to her strength. Yet it also underscores the dire need for better conditions and support for displaced persons.

Her dream is simple: a safe place for her family and the health to bring her new baby into the world without the looming threat of its loss.

Crisis

Saadatu’s plight reflects the broader crisis faced by many displaced individuals. According to Ajiboye, it calls for urgent action and empathy from those who can help.

Her story, though marked by sorrow, is also a beacon of hope and a call to humanity to step up and support those in desperate need. It was however a relief for Saadatu and her husband with the support coming from Revamp Initiatives who took over the treatment of Saadatu.

“She is currently fine and we hope she doesn’t contract the same infection again since she remains in the same camp where she uses the same toilet facility.”

Apart from the case of Saadatu, Revamp Initiatives is currently handling a case of another seven-monthold Abubakar Sadiq, who was abandoned a long time ago by his biological mother.

According to reports from the Revamp initiatives through Revamp Art Media Agency Sadiq’s foster mother, Hadiza Aliyu, the boy has been deprived of essential nutrients and the vital nourishment of breastfeeding, making him look malnourished with his frail body heartbreakingly small for his age.

Ajiboye said looking at the boy, it shows that there are lot of things to be done to help people in the IDP camp as she called on well-meaning Nigerians to come to the aid of most of the people in the camp while also calling for solutions to the issue of security in the country.

When asked about the other things the Agency is doing at the moment to support other individuals that are in different locations still hoping to air their story for the world to hear, she said the agency has been doing it’s best by going around schools, IDPs and streets where there are urchins, trying to support in its little way.

“Revamp Art is conducting an ongoing workshop series, visiting various universities to make a positive impact on students’ lives. So far, we have visited the University of Abuja and a secondary school.

Also, as a communications consulting firm, we consult for a number of private and international bodies which, in turn, help in reaching out to more people that are all in need of help.

“So far, our growth is impressive but we can only rest when tired but not quit. The future of the agency is bright, we are looking at expanding and doing more great things for the purpose of providing social impact and change.”

Challenges

On what have been the major challenges encountered by the agency since it was founded two years ago, she said it is always the same thing with every other organisation but they have been able to scale through and continue to work hard to achieve the set goals and targets.

She said: “Like other organisations, we have encountered several challenges, managing people in need, doing our best while with so many demands and we strive to improve.”