Hashima (respect) Good people. I pray you are thriving beyond surviving.

I have written an inspirational story as a book for young people

As you know, I am a professional Storyteller known as Sola Story and a Creative Facilitator. I have a story to tell and I also live by the belief that EVERYONE has a story to tell..!

As an African Heritage Elder, I am as always working to inspire and motivate the positive identity and self awareness of African Heritage young people. This is because research shows that there is a link between self esteem, confidence, well being and mental good health. When these are underpinned by a self identity that is fine, however if they are underpinned by one that has been warped and distorted by current and past racist narratives: the link can become proportionately problematic on many levels. The narrative or self talk of many young people is negative due to painiful and inimicable life experiences. For African Heritage children and young people living in the UK, this is compounded by the reality of living in an environment where their ontology, their actual being is seen as existentially wrong. Seen through the eyes of educational curricula, the British judicial system, the politics of reparation and diversity: the 'right' way is culturally, educationally and historically European and the 'right' people are 'white.' Naturally for a a sensitive young melanin rich person, this makes it easy to feel that not just societally, but personally and subjectively: they are wrong. However even given the covert and the subliminal negative judgemental narrative carried through all platforms of British (and international) media and education, I STRONGLY believe that messages CAN be changed, especially subliminally and I also believe that storytelling carries a massive potential to achieve that change.

Thus:

- I have recently written a beautiful rhyming story as an ebook, it's story of overcoming and manifesting that is intended to be medicine and it is called The Golden Seed (click on the African Mythic Medicine Youtube Link) for a summary of the book and it's purpose.. I have written this along with a storytelling guidebook aimed at families, to encourage parents and other adults to set up intergenerational groups around creating powerful messages through shared identity based storytelling. The guide comes with facilitation techniques and exercises to encourage vulnerability, empathy and compassion. The strong intention is 'Ubuntu' (I am because We Are, We are because I Am) as an underlying principle of community practice. I so long for a world in which children and young people feel like they belong and in which they are positively seen and heard by adults who are alive to their own (and others) feelings and needs. A world in which the adults are well enough resourced to co-create a container of love, laughter, creativity and community that allows young people and everyone else to thrive. I believe that world can be created one community at a time and that storytelling creative facilitation is one of the ways that this can be birthed.

So we need your help through donation. Any amount small or large is most welcome and as a thank you,, for each donation you will receive my ebook The Golden Seed and a free copy of the paperback when finished

Your help is needed to do the following

Finish the publishing process to make the ebooks into paper backs

Deliver a storytelling Creative practice course (Endorsement of Sola Storytelling Creative Practice) to upskill low income African Heritage adults in creating and facilitating these intergenerational groups through their family networks.

Deliver the course The Art of Eloquence to children and young people. Designed to inspire young people to develop self esteem, self confidence, positive identity and emotional intelligence through acquiring the aptitude and eloquence to tell THEIR own stories and to be positively validated for doing so. Also to equip them with the confidence and the skills to public speak and have agency in speaking up about the things they care about.

Deliver programmes in African centred Creative Practices to the wider community (whatever the ethnicity) who are interested in working with African Heritage young people

Train the young people to be peer mentors for younger young people

Perform live with Sierra Leonian and other global storytellers (As stage 1 of an exchange project between our young people and Sierra Leonian young people): see youtube video of Sierra Leonian youth storytellers I work with above

Develop a YouTube channel

Given the demographic such young people often come from, I would like to offer these messages and courses to them FREE OF CHARGE. The offering also includes giving the young people the opportunity to collaborate with myself and other artists through REBIRTH OF THE GRIOT👑 a showcase and event platform I co founded and have successfully co led for the past five years. Through it, children and young people will have the opportunity to showcase the eloquence, stories, spoken word and artistic skills they learn LIVE to supportive community audiences. They will also present on the YouTube channel we will develop together, appear in anthologies, podcasts, video performances and contribute to audio books.

Thus, marginalised children and Young people will learn

Storytelling and public speaking Skills

To Develop positive identity and self esteem

To engage their communities with performance

To peer mentor other young people

To become entrepreneurs by Creating arts (storytelling, spoken word etc) products to sell through collaboration with African Heritage Market places and beyond

To develop a storytelling youtube channel

So friends do you think that I'm right and that these children / young people need a self esteem and identity boost? Will you support me to achieve facilitating this?

I am at present free-lancing and in order to continue doing my part in inspiring young people to inspire young people, I need some support.

Can you support me with a donation ?

In the spirit of reciprocity, I would like to offer an exchange for your support…For those of you who are inspired by the work I do and are willing to make a donation, with gratitude, I will send you my beautiful ebook the Golden Seed and a free copy of the paper back once it is published. You can read this story to young people you know and they will love reading it themselves.

I am happy to receive donations of any amount big or small.

Please DM me for enquiries or payment details and to receive the ebook . I look forward to hearing what you think of it!

The total financial need is broken down here...

Hybrid camera tech (Meeting Owl 3) for live meetings and shared performances between our youth and Sierra Leonian and other international storytellers £1000

Youtube Set up

DSLR camera £2000

mics x 3 £200 each = £600

Ring light £100

a Tripod £30

Audio software £30

Audio Hardware £600

an illustrator £500 per project

Publisher £1000

Expenses for 5 collaborating artists £100 each per session x 10 sessions= £5000

Venue hire £50 per session x 10 sessions = £500

Stationery and Arts materials £300

Totalling £ 12,160

Adupe O! (Thank you)

Peace n Love Sola Story