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Leaving Africa

Riitta has been working in aid work in Uganda for more than 25 years, and soon it is time for her to retire and to return to Finland. Before that, in the workshop awakenings happen. One participant of the workshop is 33-year-old Daizy who is an offertory collector in Catholic Church. Daizy lives with her eight biological children and five AIDS orphans. According to Catholic Church and the priests of the village, the artificial contraception is comparable to murder. In the workshop her beliefs are challenged and the very first thing is that she is going to give sex education to her five teenage girls and put her husband in order.

In the middle of their work Riitta and Kata find themselves trapped in chain of tricky events caused by anonymous allegation letter, addressed to Ugandan Parliament. Letter accuse that they are organising workshops that promote and recruit children to homosexuality. In addition, Riitta and Kata are accused of being lesbians. The letter threatens their working licence in Uganda and soon they find out that someone is blackmailing them. What happens when the social structures are rotten by corruption, tribalism and homophobia and the faith in fair justice is dispensed? The accusation and blackmailing is destroying Riitta's and Kata's life's work and may leave a bitter legacy.  

LEAVING AFRICA is a film about the quest for gender equality in Africa and the world's greatest challenge - mitigating the population explosion. The film reveals also the value, content and challenges of development co-operation.