Ebinehita Iyere On The Journey Leading To Founding Milk Honey Bees and The Prominent Figures In Her Life

Image via Ebinehita Iyere’s Instagram

In celebration of International Women’s Day and Women’s Month, we were honoured to sit down with Ebinehita Iyere, the Therapeutic Diversion Practitioner at Juvenis Youth and founder of Milk Honey Bees. Through her personal life experiences and relations within the community, Iyere honourably created a safe space through creative expression and healing, all for the purpose of girlhood and restoring your inner-child. Milk Honey Bees celebrates and empowers the current, and future generations of young black girls.

We wanted to know more about this inspiring individual, so therefore, got really personal with Iyere! Learn more about one of the important figures behind Milk Honey Bees as she discusses life leading up to building her organisation, plans for the future, prominent figures in her life, what she loves most about being a Black woman and more.

Hi Ebinehita, thank you for sitting down with us (BLK Brit). We’re honoured to speak with you and would love to just dive straight in…Talk us through your initial career journey leading to Milk Honey Bees.

Ohh wow.. Where do I start! I’ve always worked with young people around me and I didn’t necessarily know what I wanted to do until I was ready to go to uni. I moved out when I was 15, living in a hostel, had a lot of friends around me who were also going through similar things, in terms of when you move out of your parents house - it’s difficult. You experience a different type of journey to your friend who’s living at home. Spent a lot of time around them, even the younger ones that were around us in the community, whom I supported. When I graduated, I got a full time job straight after but then three months later, a young man close to me from the community was killed. That is what led me to working with girls. One particular young girl changed my life/perspective - my whole life flashed before my eyes. 

I didn’t want to work with girls, let alone girls that looked like me but I was led into this by God and my experiences, and even when I ran, I was pulled back. But I saw how the system failed me and was failing her. So, through the support of Juvenis and mentors around me, I went through my own therapeutic process while supporting the girl as well. And through the young lady, a lot of nandos in Lewisham and the book Milk & Honey by Rupi Kaur, Milk Honey Bees was created. That’s the book we used to find her expression and find herself. I created Milk Honey Bees to be a creative and expressive safe space for black girls, rooted in creative expression for them to put H.E.R (Healing, Empowerment and Resilience) first.

What was it about this young girl that changed your whole perspective and inspired you in this manner?

What inspired me about her? The fact that no one saw what inspired me was her strength in a different way. Her strength didn’t really relate to the ‘natural Black woman strength’ that we impose on our girls but it’s more strength in, ‘I know you‘ve been through things that no one knows  but I can see it and you’re still carrying on!’.  When you meet someone that was literally doing the same thing I was doing when I was her age in the community, when you grow up around a lot of boys, you’re instantly their protector.

So, ultimately you saw yourself in this young girl?

Yes and it hurt! But it also invoked the want and desire to do something - which is why creating Milk Honey Bees was a twofold journey. It wasn’t just about building the organisation, just supporting the girl but healing my inner child. Also, during developing stages, when I would always get a referral from schools or social workers, it'd always be a black girl. Milk Honey Bees was never created with the intention for it to be solely for black girls but naturally it was created for them because they were the ones taking up the space. So, the more they took up the space, the more I tailored it with and for them. Now, that’s why, we’re now rooted in everything Black girlhood.

What’s very much interesting about this is, there’s not a lot of organisations tailored to the youth or just black girls. That’s why we appreciate Milk Honey Bees so much. You saw the gap in the industry and said ‘you know what, let me cater to this specific demographic!’.

I think it’s also a testament to the fact that I feel like I grew up very fast. I was an adult when I was a child and I wouldn’t say I’m a child now, I’m an adult, but I know how to be child-like now. What’s happened for so long is that Black women haven’t been given the space to actually play and be child-like, and be vulnerable. Society has shaped us to have this strength, so this gap and invisibility that Black girls are navigating in society, but they don’t become visible until they become women is very unfortunate. That’s why the work of Milk Honey Bees and the girls mainly is important to me and them. They’ve also pushed me to further study this at PHD Level!

Oh wow! You’re getting your PHD too! Well, let’s get into that. What field is this in?

I’m looking at the educational experiences of Black girlhood in the UK.

Is this a one year course?

Girl, it’s four years! I started last year, so it’s still early days but essentially I’m writing about this because there’s a need for it. Milk Honey Bees can create impact on the ground but we need to be visible in the academic and corporate settings as much as we need to be visible on the ground. For so long, Black girls have been invisible in all these systems, so there’s been a lack of understanding as to how they really are. What I hope and pray for Milk Honey Bees is that it always tells the narrative of Black girls for who they are. It’s them that’s telling their own stories.

Love that! Okay, with that said, are there any organisations you’d love to work with in the future? Doesn’t matter how big or small they are, what’s the ideal collaboration?

Ohhh, there’s honestly so many! But what’s most important for us is to know ‘how much do you really know about us?’, ‘what are your values?’, and ‘what can you change?’. It’s always valued base and about ‘what are these girls getting?’. If they need a reference, are you going to provide them with that? We need to know how it aligns and how they can make sure the women of tomorrow won’t have it hard as the women of today.

But one of the biggest things I want to do is collaborate with more black-led brands and organisations, especially Black women led. They’re the ones we really want to work with as these are the girls you once were and they’ll become the women we are tomorrow.

Let’s take it a bit back.. beforehand you mentioned the mentors and team who inspire you everyday. Is there anyone outside of your organisation that you look up to?

My dad! I’m a daddy’s girl. He was always there. No matter what I feel today, I know I’ll be fine tomorrow. He never said ‘you can’t do this because you’re a girl’. He always pushed me to do what I wanted to do. Then, my mum. Every mother and daughter has their trials and tribulations but that’s another person who never gave up on me. Me and mum are a testament to healing and I love that about us. My manager Winston Goode! As a manager he has gone above and beyond for me to understand my ways of working and always encourages me to keep going. He has never made me feel embarrassed to ask for help and unlike my previous manager, he has always supported my progression through education, training, setting up Milk Honey Bees and Books.

Outside of a family context, I’m inspired by a lot of women in general. To name a few, we’re going to celebrate and shout out my sisters doing some big things; Lorraine Mbayo (founder of Woman To Woman), Elsie Ayotunde Cullen from Guap Magazine, DJ CMJ (Afro-Aussie DJ and founder of Radar Sounds), Celine Erorh (Founder of Celutions)! There’s so many. Oh my days, we’re also going to celebrate Rose Winter-Uchea (travel writer and founder of Wonder Where I Wander), Shannie Mears (founder of Elephant Room), Ebi Sampson (Founder of August Agency), Kelly Nicholls (Founder of Woke Babies), Sammy (Founder of Kitokohair Lounge), Keely Stepheson (Careleavers change maker) and Stephanie Ijoma (Founder of NNESAGA).

There are so many women in our community that may not have a massive following or influencer status, but are doing so many amazing things. Sometimes, when you may not have the following or your content may not reach where you wanted it to reach, you may want to give up. They are all my sisters and keep me going!

Shout out to all women killing it and making history! Now, let's get into your identity. What do you love the most about being a Black woman?

Everything. Being able to be so intersectional that I am the only version of me. Literally, being so intersectional that when you’re with other people that look like you, you can still be you but you recognise something similar in others.  That is what’s amazing about being a black woman. Being able to navigate the things I’ve navigated and shine the way we’ve been able to shine. In short, the best part about being a black woman? It’s getting to grow into a black woman the way I want to be and not what society wants me to be.

What advice would you give to younger girls who are coming into themselves?

No matter how much they try to silence you, never forget that your voice matters. No matter what you go through, process it and use it to do whatever you want to do with it. I’ll also say, rest is essential. It’s beyond a luxury, it’s a necessity. And dream big! Have revolutionary dreams because when we don’t have them or feel like they’re being taken from you, remember you’re the only one that can take it away from you.

Any lasts words for the BLK Brit audience?

Remember, your emotional wellbeing is just as important as your exterior. We need to be mindful of the things we’re taking in, the pressure we’re putting on ourselves, and the ability to be still is just as powerful as showing up for everybody else.