When Abuja IDPs modelled for fashion designers

A group of Nigerian fashion designers and make-up artists as well as foreign photographers took time off last Saturday to visit one of the IDP camps in Abuja to put smiles on the faces of the displaced people, Daily Trust reports.
It was a dusty drive last Saturday to the Kuchigoro camp, one of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
On the day, fashion designers had taken some make-up artists and foreign photographers to the camp to spend time with the IDPs with a view of putting smiles on the faces of the IDPs. The designers had come with various chic outfits which the displaced persons donned, cat-walked in and then posed for photo shots in an exhilarating mimicking of runway modelling. It was fun all the way.
The fashion designers had come to Abuja, this time not to exhibit, in the strict business sense, their creative cuts hung on models strutting and sashaying on the runway. This time, they had, in collaboration with some non-governmental organisations, designed a selfless initiative they called the ‘Fashion for Charity’ (FFC) drive to raise funds for the welfare of the IDPs.
At the Kuchigoro camp, the altruists didn’t stop at giving out their clothing designs to the IDPs they also gave out some food items. More emotional was their interaction with the camp residents, rubbing minds with them and listening to their grievances, which they said would help them in planning their next trip to an IDP camp, as they intend to make the visit a monthly routine.
Jeffery Bent from Adamawa State and creator of the Bent Mark Milano designs, a Milan-based fashion collection, is the founder of the FFC drive. Bent told Daily Trust that the visit to the Kuchigoro camp was actually heralding the main event which is scheduled for November. Basically, he said, the rehearsal, so to speak, aims at encouraging communities and the society at large to partner with NGOs to come to the aid of the IDPs.
Bent stated that a few big international musical artistes and fashion designers will be participating in the November event. Funds expected to be raised there will be handed over to some reputable NGOs for the welfare of the IDPs, especially in areas of proper medical care, accommodation and education.
The FFC, its founder said, is willing to put heads together with other volunteers to explore more ways of raising funds needed to cater for the short to long-term needs of the IDPs.
In its monthly visits to IDP camps in Abuja and other major camps in the North-eastern part of Nigeria, the group intends to continue to use fashion designers, make-up artists and photographers to put smiles on the faces of the IDPs.
“Fashion defines your personality, and in as much as the IDPs don’t have the means of looking good, they actually love to look good,” Bent said.
Domitila Modesti, an Argentine photo artist, told Daily Trust that she and her team intend to use photo shots taken at the camps to tell her artistic story on the plight of the IDPs in the arts exhibition that will be a part of the November grand event. Modesti explained that the art work will be a platform of awareness to other supported organisations like the United Nations and other agencies that are ready to support Fashion for Charity.
Also in the long train of the drive to the Kuchigoro IDP camp was Ramatu Umar, owner of Tumara Faces, who took out time to make some of the IDPs up. Umar was so visibly excited at seeing the displaced people looking good in their well-made faces. She said the whole idea of the charity drive wasn’t just an avenue to assist the needy, but also to help them with some craft skills so they can also be independent someday.
“I intend to come up here with free make-up kits which I will give out to these people, and I will also teach them the techniques of make-up so that they can also use it to earn a living,” Umar said.
Daily Trust observed that all of the fashion designers who participated in the charity drive had spared time to make different sizes and shades of outfits for both children and adults in the camp.