She’s a biomedical scientist. She has spoken before world leaders. She leads a premier pro-life organization in Africa. Now, Obianuju (Uju) Ekeocha wants to make a feature-length documentary. 

African women are exploited by Western-funded family planning organizations, Ekeocha says. She wants to amplify those women’s “ignored and unheard voices” in a new documentary. She’s already begun the work. But it will take $22,000 to produce. So far, she’s raised over $7,000. 

Ekeocha, president of Culture of Life Africa, spoke with The Stream about her goals for the documentary. (Click here to see the GoFundMe page.)

Exposing What The Press Ignores

The Stream: What inspired you to make this project?

Ekeocha: For a number of years I have been involved with the pro-life movement. I’ve attended meetings at the United Nations. I’ve written, spoken at various events, and even helped plan a number of groundbreaking pro-life events in different African countries. 

It is good to tell people about the pro-life struggles in Africa, but it is so much more powerful to show these struggles. 

Last year, I sat down with a nurse in Kampala, Uganda who had been employed by a British non-profit called Marie Stopes. After she started working for them, she found out they were in fact an abortion organization. (Abortion is not legal in Uganda). I filmed my interview with her and launched it at the beginning of this year as a short video entitled Killing Africa. This was seen by many and has inspired other people to start a petition against Stopes’ activities. 

This was when I decided to do more video projects. It is good to tell people about the pro-life struggles in Africa, but it is so much more powerful to show these struggles. 

So earlier this year I traveled to Kenya and Ethiopia. I sat down to speak with a number of people whose stories, I believe, are worth sharing. 

 

Why is this new, longer documentary necessary?

It will show a side of Africa never covered by the usual international press. The main ones are CNN and BBC. They ignore stories that don’t fit a certain narrative. All these news organizations are interested in is showing how much Western funding given to Africa for “reproductive health” and “family planning.”

The new film will show exactly what happens at the end of these “reproductive health” funding streams. It will show how abortion is being pushed by Western organizations in Africa. And it will show how abortion is inflicting so much pain on African women. 

Broken Hearts and Fat Checks

Are your interview subjects happy to see you combating the pro-abortion message of the West?

Most certainly! The people I interviewed were not only happy that this documentary is being made. They are hopeful that their stories will precipitate justice for Africa. Because the broken hearts of post-abortive women are going unseen, while reproductive health organizations cash fat checks earmarked for humanitarian aid. 

Can you preview of some of the stories from people you have already interviewed?

I can’t speak too specifically about these cases because much of it is investigative. Some of the interviews implicate organizations that are doing much damage in their work in Africa. So if I speak very specifically it may jeopardize the entire project. But I can say that a number of the women are post-abortive, wounded, and recovering. Some of them have suffered serious physical injuries. 

My hope is that their voices will finally get heard and that people of good will everywhere would demand for justice for these women.

Another aspect of the documentary will show the heart-wrenching end result of some of the multi-million dollar contraception projects. Poor and rural women suffer the debilitating side effects (everything from numbness, to headaches, dizziness, sporadic bleeds and loss of libido). Most of these women didn’t just decide to use artificial contraceptives. They were talked into Western-sponsored “free” contraception. Yet when they struggled under the side effects, they had no money to go to the hospital to get treated or have them removed. 

Their voices are some of the world’s ignored and unheard voices. My hope is that their voices will finally get heard and that people of good will everywhere would demand justice for these women, and that Western governments would review and change their approach in dealing with Africa. 

Seeing Abortion for What it is

Why do many Africans reject abortion?

I believe that abortion is seen by most Africans for what it really is — a direct attack on human life. 

There are so many diverse cultures and so many different ethnic groups across Africa. But one common thread that runs through these cultures is a respect for human life at every stage of development. This is partly linked to cultural beliefs, and also partly linked to religious beliefs. A majority of the people take it very seriously. 

Abortion is an abhorrent practice and no sterile euphemisms can change that. 

What is your funding timeline? 

My hope is to fund raise until we get what we need for the documentary ($22,000). If we aren’t close to that by September of this year, I will end the campaign and consider looking for another option. 

Where will the documentary be available? 

We are hoping this documentary shows in America, Canada, Europe, and very importantly, Africa. 

If someone wants to help, what can they do? 

The easiest way to support the project will be to donate through the GoFundMe page.

 

Questions and answers edited for clarity.