Alwin Idie
Nairobi, Kenya -Award-winning Zimbabwean filmmaker Kudzai Tinago of Tigzozo Media has made an impact following the premiere of Daughter of the Soil: Sowing Seeds of Hope, a powerful new documentary that reframes African women’s leadership as a strategic driver of global progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The premiere was courtesy of the Alliance for Women and Girls (AFWAG).
Directed by Tinago of Tigzozo Media, the film follows the compelling personal and professional journey of Dr. Vongai Nyahunzvi, Founder and CEO of AFWAG.
From her childhood in Norton, Zimbabwe, to her continent-wide mission to dismantle barriers for women and girls, the documentary highlights the transformative impact of feminist leadership on communities, economies, and systems.
Speaking during the premier, Dr. Vongai Nyahunzvi, Founder and CEO of AFWAG said:
“When you educate a girl, you educate a nation, this African proverb is a motivation for us to drive transformative and impactful change aimed at empowering girls and women not only in Kenya or Zimbabwe, but across the region,” she said.
“This story is not just about me. It’s about millions of African women who are architects of
progress.
“But lasting change cannot be achieved by individuals alone.
“We need collective action. That’s why we’re calling on donors, governments, and corporates to fund and amplify women-led solutions as a pathway to scalable, systemic change”, she added.
The documentary comes at a pivotal moment for East Africa and the broader region where significant progress has been made, but major gaps remain.
“Across the region, fewer than half of adolescent girls in countries like Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania complete secondary school.
In Kenya alone, up to four in ten girls aged 15–19 have experienced pregnancy, while one in three women across East Africa face intimate partner violence, with femicide cases increasing.
In South Sudan, over half of all girls are married before the age of 18.
These sobering statistics reinforce the urgency of investing in African women’s leadership as a pathway to transformative, long-term change.
The Nairobi premiere brought together policymakers, philanthropists, corporate allies, and
grassroots leaders, all united by the belief that investing in African women is not an act of
charity but a catalyst for global transformation.
The Alliance for Women and Girls (AFWAG) unites African grassroots leaders and organizations to advance gender equity through leadership development, organizational
capacity strengthening, and movement building.
Aligned with the SDGs, AFWAG has collectively impacted over 5 million women and girls.
