Director’s Statement
For girls like Hoctavia Sabiti and Ruth Aringo, both from Uganda, graduating from high school is something almost beyond reach, nearly unimaginable.
And yet, as 17-year old Hoctavia expresses in the film, “When you educate a girl, you educate a whole nation.”
The meaning behind these words was the motivation for “Africa’s Daughters.”
It’s widely accepted that education is the cornerstone of progress for individuals and countries alike. But when girls in developing countries are educated, especially at the high school level, the benefits to society – social, economic, and political – are multiplied many times over.
Hoctavia and Ruth, two remarkable young women, represent the dreams of millions of girls in Uganda and across Africa who understand that the only way to break the cycle of poverty in which they’ve grown up is to complete high school and, hopefully, go on to college.
Capturing their stories of hope and determination, and seeing how they’re rising above cultural beliefs and traditions to realize their full potential was an amazing experience.
Their courage and their spirit have moved me.
I hope that their stories reach across borders and move others to learn more about the impact of girls’ education, while inspiring young people to stay in school and pursue even the most impossible dream.
