Our Work in
Social Justice
Social Justice
Social justice begins when people who are pushed to the margins have the resources—and the power—to shape their own lives. At The Pollination Project, we support grassroots changemakers who challenge discrimination, expand access and inclusion, and defend dignity and safety for their communities.
From disability justice and LGBTQ+ rights to community-led systems of care and opportunity, these projects are building a more equitable world, one courageous act at a time.
Recent impact stories
Dancing Without Barriers: How a Micro Grant Sparked Inclusive Arts
Deaf Can Dance brings Deaf and hearing participants together through inclusive dance, made possible by a micro grant from The Pollination Project.
More Impact Stories
Pamela Adie
Pamela is an LGBT rights advocate with a passion for storytelling. She is the executive director of The Equality Hub, a non-profit which advances the rights and wellbeing of lesbian, bisexual, and queer women in Nigeria. Shge was invited to the 2017 World Economic Forum to make the case for LGBT inclusion in the workplace to business leaders.
Pamela has been the first person in Nigeria to make a documentary about coming out as a lesbian. “Under The Rainbow” is a feature-length documentary in which we see a Nigerian lesbian narrate her journey of self-discovery. It exposes the harmful effects of homophobia and its impact on a person and families. In a recent study, 61% of Nigerians say that homosexual Nigerians should not have access to public services like healthcare and education, while 83% say they would reject a family member who is homosexual.
She was inspired to make this film because visual storytelling has the power to change perceptions that lead to acceptance.
The grant from the Pollination Project contributed to making this goal a reality by ensuring that the film was completed in the highest quality and that it was accessible to those who need to see it.
The film had screenings in Nigeria, the US, and South Africa and inspired many people.
“Working with the Pollination Project has been a great experience and one that I am very grateful for. LGBTQ-related issues/projects rarely get funding in this part of the world, so I am very grateful to have received this support. The whole LGBTQ community in Nigeria thanks the Pollination Project in every way possible. Thank you.”
Paul Talliard
Paul received a TPP grant in 2015. The model Paul Talliard created was unique: businesses donate their unwanted goods to Hands of Honour to be upcycled, which creates jobs and skill-building opportunities for the boys and men Hands of Honour employs.
Paul used some of that income to create learning resources for local school children and provided many other opportunities for those he served to volunteer in their communities.
To date, this work has saved 369 tons of waste from entering a landfill, employed 14 boys and men, can call up to 50 members for a volunteer project, and distributed 80 Early Childhood Development Classroom on Wheels units to under-resourced children’s centers.
Even while growing Hands of Honour, Paul always found time to give back to The Pollination Project’s global family. He served as a grant advisor and mentor to new changemakers beginning in 2016, donating countless hours to helping other would-be visionaries on their own unique path to creating a kinder, more compassionate world.
Even though Paul passed in 2021, Hands Of Honor still serves as a significant inspiration for many. Several men who have been part of the Hands of Honour Upcycling Centre have moved on to lead lives filled with meaningful goals and clear vision.
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