The Girls of Imbirikani
Imbirikani isn’t on many maps; it’s a dusty outpost in southern Kenya that sits between the tribal lands of the Maasai, and the expansive Maasai Mara National Reserve. The 583 sq. mile reserve is globally famous for its exceptional population of lions, leopards and cheetahs, and the annual migration of zebra, Thomson's gazelle, and wildebeest to and from the Serengeti every year from July to October, known as the Great Migration. Less notable but far more important are the remarkable young women who populate this area. Most are sold into marriage by their fathers for cattle and kept in slavery. Some, with the help of their mothers, escape and make their way to an extraordinary private sanctuary: Imbirikani Girls High School. There they learn life skills, self respect, female empowerment, and the love of God. They also receive an exceptional education. The school’s founders hired Bandana Films to tell the story of this place and the difference it’s making for hundreds of Kenyan women. Principal photography by Jeff McWhorter.