
Nikitta inspires a Nation through "A Thousand Needles".
Nikitta Adjirakor a 25 year old Ghanaian Scout and a member of the WOSM Languages Task Force has kept a country talking and thinking about sensitive and less talked about issues on women’s reproductive and sexual health through a documentary film.
“A Thousand Needles” merges monologues, poetry, arts and a brutally honest script to explore the reality of living with women's sexual and reproductive health issues. Following one character’s journey particularly through the lens of chronic pelvic pain, the film shows how such issues impact the different facets of her life such as her schooling, career, relationships, mental health, identity and physical health among others.
At the first launch and screening in Accra, Ghana a cross section of society both men and women totaling 450 made up of health professionals, policy makers, educationist, representatives of some UN agencies, traditional leaders, Academia, Scout, Girl Guides and members of the security agencies were present to take part in the viewing and panel discussion.
Both the print and electronic media were heavily involved through television and radio interviews and publications in the national new papers. Social media was greatly used with the hashtags #morethanperiodpain, athousandneedles.film, #athousandneedlesfilm and www.athousandneedlesfilm.com.
The film is set to be screened in other African countries and finally in Bayreuth, Germany where she is a research associate and a PhD candidate in African Languages and Literatures to keep the conversation going.
In Nikitta’s own words, “there are many undermining conditions that women live with that they don’t talk about regarding their sexual and reproductive health. This documentary is also to create a space for conversation on women's sexual and reproductive health through education, research and investment in women's health”.