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About the Film
In rural Kenya, widowhood can mean exile. When a husband dies, custom dictates that his wife must be “inherited” by a male relative to remain part of the family – a ritual meant to “cleanse” her, even amid the persistent risk of HIV. Those who refuse are cast out, stripped of land, home, and belonging.
WIDOW CHAMPION (dir. Zippy Kimundu) follows Rodah Nafula. After her husband’s death, Rodah defied the tradition, and she and her three children were expelled from their family compound by her in-laws. For seven years, she lived in a market stall, surviving in harsh, dehumanizing conditions. Her life turned when a local NGO, KELIN, helped her reclaim her land through an innovative community mediation program. Empowered by her victory, Rodah trained to become a “Widow Champion,” a fierce advocate guiding other women through the same struggle.
Through Rodah’s eyes, the film traces the four-year land dispute of Mary Atieno and other widows resisting dispossession. Set against the rhythms of rice planting and harvest, WIDOW CHAMPION immerses us in the slow, fragile process of justice brokered by the Luo Council of Elders. Filmed in an intimate, observational style, the film captures the daily negotiations – emotional, spiritual, and legal – of women rewriting tradition from within.
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