YAWOA FOUNDATION
Mémoire Rêveuse
Promoting African art to positively impact human capital indices
In Togo, the rates of maternal mortality, standing at 401 deaths per 100,000 live births, and neonatal mortality, at 27 per 1000, remain alarmingly high. The Sylvanius Olympio Hospital Center in Lomé, the country's oldest hospital, established in 1954 and upgraded to a university hospital in 1971, currently boasts over 1000 beds. In 2023 alone, it facilitated more than 11,500 deliveries.
The neonatology department of this esteemed hospital grapples with over a hundred critical cases daily, predominantly impacting young women. Financial assistance is urgently needed to address the exigencies of medical emergencies.
For the opening of the project, we mobilized stakeholders from multiple sectors during a cocktail held symbolically at the occasion of International Women’s Day 2024. The Proceeds from the sale of 13 exclusive works will be dedicated to transforming the life of a woman by providing essential healthcare support for women or girls in the neonatal unit of a public hospital in the Togolese capital. This project was supported by Ellipse Art Projects.
Mémoire Rêveuse Opening Highlights
Born in the year 2000, Parmenas Awudza stands as a sensitive Togolese photographer, deeply attuned to the profound influence wielded by women within African communities. His artistic journey serves as a poignant visual narrative of his homeland, where he tirelessly roams in pursuit of fleeting moments of serendipity. In his captivating exhibition "Mémoire Rêveuse," Parmenas eloquently honors the women who serve as wellsprings of vitality and creativity, offering inspiration not only to their contemporaries but also to generations yet to come.
During the production of his photographic project, we follow his journey and produced a documentary titled “Mémoire Rêveuse: A celebration of the African Woman”
The Cause: Impact one or more lives in a neonatal department in Togo
