Help Bani Amor Survive the Summer
Donation protected
Watch the teaser above for a short introduction to my work as a diasporic media-maker and decolonizing travel culture! Teaser by Bruno Brothers Media Co.
About me
Hey folks! I'm Bani Amor and I'm a queer disabled travel writer of color tryna make it through the summer financially. I'm a freelancer with physical disabilities which keep me from incurring cash monies any other way besides writing, so I'm broke.
Support my work as a writer
My platform, Everywhere All The Time is chock full of great resources by and for travel writers of color and peoples of diverse identities discussing what it's like to navigate migrations on the margins of power. The work on my blog is free to access and I'm glad folks are citing it and spreading the language of decolonizing travel, just make sure to tip/donate to me to help keep the good work going. I often get messages from folks saying how much they wish they could be as open and radical as I am publicly and in my work, but that they would then go broke. Well, that's where I am, people. I have amazing projects in the works I'm so excited about, but as long as I'm living hand-to-mouth, they're going to take some time to get out into the world. So if you enjoy my work and would like to see more of it soon, help me keep on keepin' on.
Projects I'll be working on in Ecuador
Here's the latest: I leave to Ecuador in about a week to work on three big projects with no funding (yet!). The first is a three-part series with communities affected by the 2,000 earthquakes and aftershocks that have been hitting the Northwestern coast since April (they show no signs of stopping). With a team, I'll be traveling to the affected areas to interview folks and document their experiences using video, photography and writing. The first part will be with the trans, intersex, nonbinary and sex worker communities of Manabi, which has been hit the hardest. The second part will be with the primarily Afro-Ecuadorian and Afro-Indigenous communities of northern Esmeraldas, which is hard to reach and will be difficult with my disabilities and without funding. Lastly, we'll be working with families who lost everything in the quake but who were able to rebuild thanks to funds we raised months ago. We need $150 - sooner than later - to fix one of the cameras we'll be filming with, and until I can secure funding, we'll be doing this out of our own pockets, and our pockets are empty. I'll write about the other two projects tomorrow, but they are equally important, laborious and difficult to manage without support. I have been specifically asked by these communities to help them tell their stories, so if you can help me help them, it will all be for the greater good.
Explanation of financial needs
I'm on my way to the world's only travel writing workshop for people of color! I'll be assisting our amazing faculty and meeting with local transgender Ecuadorian activists to plot the QTPOC Ecuadorian diasporic revolution and shit. I had to borrow money for my flights to Florida and Ecuador this summer, specifically to delay my flight to Ecuador to allow more time to heal from my recent intense shoulder surgery, since rehab is ongoing. Furthermore, I don't have a ticket to return to New York in time for scheduled work gigs, and I need to return soon as all my doctors and medical insurance is in NY, so I need to purchase that ticket ASAP. Lastly, I had to rush my baby (my cat) to the vet the day before my flight and the tests they ran were very costly, which of course I had to borrow money for, and just a few hours later, I broke my toe, because that's life I guess!? Help me with these expenses? UPDATE: Thanks to your donations, I was able to pay off these expenses!
How disabilities play into needs
I've been recovering from my second shoulder surgery, I have an ongoing back problem which gives me intense pain when I sit down (I write about #TravelingWhileDisabled on my blog and twitter, #DisabilityTooWhite), my muscles in my left leg and foot are still strengthening after a knee fracture which kept me bedridden for months, and I broke my toe a few days ago! I'm covered by insurance for most things but still have medical expenses and specific access needs because of my physical limitations. This makes traveling in 'remote' and hard-to-get-to places in Ecuador where I'll be working on the aforementioned projects even more of a challenge.
Finally, I'm working hard to secure some financial stability via some great gigs but it might be a while until they come through, hence this campaign. I've been working hard to get out of poverty in general so that I don't have to keep doing these campaigns, so know that I'm working my lil butt off while juggling heavy physical and personal shit. I thank you so much for your support!
About me
Hey folks! I'm Bani Amor and I'm a queer disabled travel writer of color tryna make it through the summer financially. I'm a freelancer with physical disabilities which keep me from incurring cash monies any other way besides writing, so I'm broke.
Support my work as a writer
My platform, Everywhere All The Time is chock full of great resources by and for travel writers of color and peoples of diverse identities discussing what it's like to navigate migrations on the margins of power. The work on my blog is free to access and I'm glad folks are citing it and spreading the language of decolonizing travel, just make sure to tip/donate to me to help keep the good work going. I often get messages from folks saying how much they wish they could be as open and radical as I am publicly and in my work, but that they would then go broke. Well, that's where I am, people. I have amazing projects in the works I'm so excited about, but as long as I'm living hand-to-mouth, they're going to take some time to get out into the world. So if you enjoy my work and would like to see more of it soon, help me keep on keepin' on.
Projects I'll be working on in Ecuador
Here's the latest: I leave to Ecuador in about a week to work on three big projects with no funding (yet!). The first is a three-part series with communities affected by the 2,000 earthquakes and aftershocks that have been hitting the Northwestern coast since April (they show no signs of stopping). With a team, I'll be traveling to the affected areas to interview folks and document their experiences using video, photography and writing. The first part will be with the trans, intersex, nonbinary and sex worker communities of Manabi, which has been hit the hardest. The second part will be with the primarily Afro-Ecuadorian and Afro-Indigenous communities of northern Esmeraldas, which is hard to reach and will be difficult with my disabilities and without funding. Lastly, we'll be working with families who lost everything in the quake but who were able to rebuild thanks to funds we raised months ago. We need $150 - sooner than later - to fix one of the cameras we'll be filming with, and until I can secure funding, we'll be doing this out of our own pockets, and our pockets are empty. I'll write about the other two projects tomorrow, but they are equally important, laborious and difficult to manage without support. I have been specifically asked by these communities to help them tell their stories, so if you can help me help them, it will all be for the greater good.
Explanation of financial needs
I'm on my way to the world's only travel writing workshop for people of color! I'll be assisting our amazing faculty and meeting with local transgender Ecuadorian activists to plot the QTPOC Ecuadorian diasporic revolution and shit. I had to borrow money for my flights to Florida and Ecuador this summer, specifically to delay my flight to Ecuador to allow more time to heal from my recent intense shoulder surgery, since rehab is ongoing. Furthermore, I don't have a ticket to return to New York in time for scheduled work gigs, and I need to return soon as all my doctors and medical insurance is in NY, so I need to purchase that ticket ASAP. Lastly, I had to rush my baby (my cat) to the vet the day before my flight and the tests they ran were very costly, which of course I had to borrow money for, and just a few hours later, I broke my toe, because that's life I guess!? Help me with these expenses? UPDATE: Thanks to your donations, I was able to pay off these expenses!
How disabilities play into needs
I've been recovering from my second shoulder surgery, I have an ongoing back problem which gives me intense pain when I sit down (I write about #TravelingWhileDisabled on my blog and twitter, #DisabilityTooWhite), my muscles in my left leg and foot are still strengthening after a knee fracture which kept me bedridden for months, and I broke my toe a few days ago! I'm covered by insurance for most things but still have medical expenses and specific access needs because of my physical limitations. This makes traveling in 'remote' and hard-to-get-to places in Ecuador where I'll be working on the aforementioned projects even more of a challenge.
Finally, I'm working hard to secure some financial stability via some great gigs but it might be a while until they come through, hence this campaign. I've been working hard to get out of poverty in general so that I don't have to keep doing these campaigns, so know that I'm working my lil butt off while juggling heavy physical and personal shit. I thank you so much for your support!
Organizer
Bani Amor
Organizer
Jackson Heights, NY
