Voices of Africa

Voices of Africa is a cross-cultural collaboration between EstroGenius Festival and Ginger O’Neill of Peace Corps Niger to support girls’ education in Niger, ranked the poorest country in the world by the United Nations. Together with volunteers Michelle Stoner and Sheena Washington, Ginger created the Pangea Festival in Niger. Pangea brings together people from diverse villages and features events for girls and teens that help them to find their voices through music, poetry, prose, yoga, dance and other creative disciplines. The festival uses creativity to encourage the participants to learn to read and write while giving the younger girls connections to older ones who serve as mentors, tutors and inspiration.  Stories and poems created at Pangea were sent to New York City to be performed by teenagers as part of the Estrogenius Festival’s Voices of Africa program.  100% of the proceeds from Voices of Africa are donated to the Young Girls Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships to young women in Niger.  In 2007, the festival supported 16 girls’ educations.