You're quite probably familiar with Humans of New York, a tremendously successful photographic and storytelling project that captures regular New Yorkers doing regular things, and talking about their lives. Late last year, the photographer went on a 50 day trip around the world, capturing people and moments a very long way from New York. It's a concept that has inspired other photographers and storytellers to launch similar projects in their home towns and countries, and that's fantastic.
Reading the newspapers, it's easy to start thinking about foreign countries as giant collections of faceless people, doing... something or other. And that's a perception that we need to overcome when we're trying to end extreme poverty in the world. We're not trying to raise up a generic group of one billion people, we're trying to improve the lives of people with their own unique dreams, quirks, charms, and ideas. People not so different to you and me.
Lately for me, Nigeria has been one of the more difficult countries to feel a personal empathy with. There's a stigma of internet scammers, the whole mess with Boko Haram in the country's north, rapid population growth, and environmental problems stemming from the oil industry and urban expansion. Indeed, Nigeria's largest city, Lagos, is now home to some 17 million people - double the population of London, more than New York City, almost as many as the entire nation of Australia.
But who ARE they? What are they into? What does a normal day in Lagos look like for someone who's trying to make their way in life?
The Humans of Lagos project gives insight into life in Lagos, and the stories of people who don't end up in the newspapers. I've included some of my favourite ones below, and you can check them all out on the Humans of Lagos Instagram account. Enjoy!