AmeIyoba, coined from the Benin language of my cultural heritage, means "the well a queen drinks from." “Ame” translates to water, while “IyeOba” means Queen or Queen Mother, together symbolizing nourishment, strength, and legacy.

While applying for the prestigious Laurier Scholars Award — a scholarship recognizing leadership, purpose, and innovative thinking — I was asked to imagine a project rooted in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Though I was waitlisted for the award, the question ignited something far more enduring: a vision for a community project inspired by my lived experience as a Nigerian-Canadian woman navigating two worlds.

Over four years at Queen’s University, through my studies in Health Studies and Psychology, I have deepened that vision. I have learned how to root change in environments that promote health, foster education, maintain autonomy and spark innovation — especially for women and children whose voices have long been marginalized.

AmeIyoba is built upon three guiding pillars: Good Health (SDG 3), Quality Education (SDG 4), and Gender Equality (SDG 5).

As someone who has witnessed the full spectrum of gender inequality — from internalized cultural norms to systemic violence — I knew that true change had to start with access: access to education, to mental health care, and to choice. AmeIyoba is that dream made tangible — a nonprofit grounded in advocacy, healing, and the radical empowerment of women and children across borders.