About the founder

Bdenam C. A Toyisson is a survivor of childhood molestation, cultural oppression, and family abandonment. Born in Togo and raised in the U.S., she was told from a young age that her worth as a woman depended on obedience, marriage, and silence. But Ana chose a different path. At 22, she moved to New York City with just $1,000, no support system, and a fierce determination to reclaim her life. She faced eviction, hunger, depression, and the pain of being unseen, but never gave up. She worked at banks, supported her family from afar, and returned to school, earning her associate's degree. This fall, she will pursue a dual degree in Film and Psychology at CCNY.

 

Bdenam is also a proud participant in the Miss New York pageant, using her platform to rewrite what beauty, strength, and visibility look like for women who have been silenced. Her life is proof that survival is not the end goal — transformation is.Now, through Arthemis: Home of Hope, Bdenam is building the very support system she never had

— so that others like her can rise, speak, and lead.