Our mission is to create engagement platforms for marginalized communities and groups in Kenya, by using both traditional and conventional art. 

“Women leadership is SMART Leadership '' project is a blended approach to promoting freedom which will amplify and combine the efforts and progressive work on faith and feminism by communities and change-makers, through a targeted stakeholder engagement strategy that includes community outreaches, networking and collaboration forums and capacity building. We will also use film as a mirror to reflect how women in marginalized communities exercise their faith and feminism. The 13- episode television drama series tells the story of a young bi-sexual woman from Turkana called Natiir, who against all odds, works her way up the political uncertainties in Kenya to become the first female President in the country. Her journey towards this top seat is marred by an array of ethical, religious and economic conflicts, including how society directs sexuality and freedom for women in civic and political spaces.  These hurdles are further pronounced for women from conservative communities such as from the Pokot, Turkana, Ogiek, and the Mijikenda, which are largely marginalized in Kenya. 

The main objective of this project is to create an engagement platform or space where communities and change-makers can amplify and combine their efforts and progressive work in promoting freedom for marginalized women and women facing exploitation, abuse, and/or violence . 

The project addresses abuse, marginalization and side-lining of girls and women, including gender based violence in its entirety – physical, emotional and psychological. Violence against women encompasses an array of abuses targeted at women and girls ranging from sex-selective abortion, rape, incest, victim-shaming, denial of access to essential health services and education, and controlled on how to exercise their faith and feminism, which subsequently denies them the right and freedom to express themselves and live to their full potential. Violence against women is not only a manifestation of sex inequality, but also serves to maintain this unequal balance of power and has been used as a mechanism for subordination where women are expected to be more subtle in their leadership roles than men, or take up roles and opportunities that are deemed to be of less value by men in the society.

Our innovation is in the intersectionality of the story of Natiir. She is a young woman from Turkana who was denied a scholarship opportunity by her father, which was then handed to her brother who did not deserve it, only merited because of his gender and not performance. Natiir was born from a sexual abuse encounter by her mother when she was 14 years. She ends up working in a local eatery in Turkana after her secondary school final exams, from where she is called to Nairobi by her former schoolmate – Nadome who is a staunch Christian- who helps her join the Nairobi University. During her time in Nairobi, she discovers and explores her sexuality and ends up in a relationship with Andrea who introduces her to the world of Fashion shows. Afterwards, Natiir becomes a Member of Parliament in Turkana and gets married to a famous Pokot man in order to foster peace within the region through marriage. She declares her candidature for presidency in the long-run, where she is fought by local community elders because of her sexuality and gender but her leadership and community development track record vindicates her. 

Through this film project, we aim to change the fragmented discourse on freedom by changemakers and communities, by creating a collaborative and fostering  environment for a robust participation of marginalized girls and women in civic and political spaces,  that promote and amplify individual and community voices to  speak and be heard about their experiences in faith and feminism.