Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Termination of FGM - Loreto Sisters - Narrative Report 2014 - 2015
Termination of FGM - Loreto Sisters - Narrative Report 2014 - 2015
Introduction
The year started with a full plate of activities that run throughout the year. The major activities
were the FGM education program of seminars to boys and girls as well as to adult groups on the
reality and consequences that FGM brings to the entire society. We are happy to announce that
requests for FGM seminars increased tremendously this year as a result of which the project has
moved to Kericho Diosece, this to us is a sign that the impact of our efforts is felt in the
community. The facilitators in the field, directed by Dr. Sr. Ephigenia did excellent work to meet
these requests. The second PHASE of the project, i.e. the construction of Abundant Life
Centre is also progressing well (See photos).
Seminars:
Institutions and organized groups continue to request for FGM seminars in their areas. Many
such seminars were held in Nakuru, Ngong and Kericho Dioceses with two new areas of Mau
Narok and Bomet. The seminars were as usual given to local leaders like the chiefs, church and
village elders, pupils and students of primary and secondary schools both boys and girls. At the
close of the seminars participants are always dismayed by what they learn about FGM. The
Videos that are show are particularly effective in bringing the reality of FGM to the audience.
We have seen big men weep and leave the room where the DVD is being shown before the show
is over. Many of these people become our best ambassadors on the ground.
Christian Rite of Passage seminars:
Successful Christian rites of passage were conducted in five locations in Mogotio, Dondori,
Rongai, Bomet, Gilgil and Lower Subukia all in the Rift Valley of Kenya. The seminar in Gilgil
was organized hurriedly when we learnt that FGM was to be performed on 12th December 2014
in time for the girls to heal before Christmas. The turn up was very encouraging with a total of
96 girls attending. However some parents whom we had taught still took 30 girls for the cut on a
hill near the centre where we held the CROP. Our girls would laugh and say, at this time those
on the hill cannot urinate and are crying in pain.
Fistula
Good News:
The good news is that for the past year, fistula operations are now offered free of charge in all
Government hospitals in Kenya and by many private hospitals. The frequent coverage of fistula
situation in the Kenyan media has made many women who have suffered in silence for many
years, come to the fore and seek treatment. Women continue to come to the open after our
seminars and our staff bring them to various hospitals.
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Special Experiences:
1. On 22nd December 2014, over 3000 Saburu Elders were aired on Kenyan television
demonstrating against the Government for stopping FGM without consulting them. They stated
categorically that they want FGM for their daughters and wives.
Fortunately a group of Saburu women spoke to the media sometime later expressing their anger
that their elders, who are men, have spoken on FGM and they are not the ones who are cut.
Sometime later, a group of Saburu Morans (young worriers) stated the same opinion saying they
do not want FGM for their wives and daughters. This incident is a positive one for us
campaigners against FGM because the incidents demonstrated to us that there is some change
taking place between the older generation and the younger generation regarding the practice of
FGM. Such a public declaration denouncing the elders has never been heard of before in that
community.
The elders also declared that they will continue to kill any baby born of uncircumcised woman
even as they have always done. (Older women break the skull of the fetus and so the uncut
woman has an induced miscarriage). No Saburu child is ever born of uncut woman. The sound of
such a child crying is taboo.
N.B: In February 2014, over 200 Maasai women held a huge demonstration declaring that they
want FGM. (See youtube). All this is a proof that we may need to change our strategies
drastically.
Near the place of this demo, a daughter of a chief died after the cut three months earlier.
2. During our Rite of passage seminar in Bomet, a chief was shot with an arrow in the opposite
valley to where we were because he stopped a group of people from circumcising some girls,
Hon Kilimo, on FGM Government desk, spoke about this incident on Television on 18th
December 2014.
3. In Gigil early December 2014, our team received an urgent call to rescue girls who were to
be circumcised on 12th December. We planned and gave Christian Rite of Passage to 96 girls.
Some parents, out of the ones we had taught, still took 30 girls for the cut to a nearby homestead
where they were housed for the cut. During CROP seminar, our girls were very happy singing
and danced and commented that their friends were in pain and could not urinate because of pain.
A very young mother of one of the girls who were cut said, I want my daughter to go to school
and not to be married early after the cut, but my husband stands in front of my hut and swears
that no girl in his homestead will remain uncut. She says that the beating she would get from the
husband with kicks and blows and thrashing with sticks is too much to bear. She was in tears and
helpless. The women begged us to tell their husbands about FGM and to obtain permission for
the wives to attend FGM seminars without having to cheat when they come to our seminars.
In the same area and month December 2014, a girl was taken to hospital on the point of death.
The doctor treated the child to save her life without reporting the case to authorities for fear that
reporting may make such girls die without medical care.
4. Kuria: On 27th December our team met a group of 20 Kuria girls some as young as 10 years at
the Kenya Tanzania Border. They had just been cut by Kenya circumcisers whom Tanzania
parents say are experts for the job. The girls were miserable and frightened but the mob escorting
them were dancing and singing in frenzy wearing masks and tins and bells, tinkles, whistles, and
bottles all over the body. Blood was all over the road. One big girl with a full bust fainted and
was carried shoulder high by men who said what a lucky girl she was because a very rich and
influential man had booked her for marriage.
5. Maasai women:
Summary of seminars held between April 2014 - March 2015
SEMINARS
GROUP
PARTICIPANTS
NUMBER
OF
DAYS
FACILITATED
ONE
DAY
SEMINAR
TWO
DAYS
SEMINAR
One
week
Rite
of
Passage
for
Girls
FACILITATORS
MALE
TOTAL
TOTAL
pupil/student
ADULTS
ADULTS
GIRLS
93
DAYS
48
DAYS
20
DAYS
42
DAYS
7971
1307
237
0
9592
2286
395
846
17513
3693
624
846
79
57
9
168
54
15
247
111
24
TOTAL
213
9515
13119 22,634
145
237
382
Conclusion
After 15 years of working to terminate FGM in many parts of Kenya, the enormity of the
problem is becoming more and more apparent. It is disheartening to have to say that Termination
of FGM is likely to last for a few more generations. The greatest obstacle continues to be the
relationship between the practice and African Traditional beliefs, which coexist with Christian
beliefs. One of these obstacles is the secrecy of the subject of sex. Males especially do not know
the physiology of a woman so that they do not know what FGM does to a woman and its
consequences. As a result they propagate FGM in ignorance. Sex education that TFGM Project
tries very much to do is one way of removing this handle.
We are aware of the many new obstacles and challenges that accompany our efforts. The
immediate challenge is the changing face of FGM and the new players involved. The activity of
cutting girls has gone under-ground and taken new faces since the practice was declared illegal
by the Government of Kenya in September 2011.
The TFGM project has undertaken a change of methodology of delivering seminars. We have
begun devoting more time to the participants culture. We are researching more effective ways of
changing the attitudes of adult persons.
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Seminars to students will COME INTO effect in the next generation when these children do not
take their children for FGM. In the meantime, we shall work for cooperation between the adults
we teach, the administrators, the media and especially the churches.
We are also looking forward to the completion of the Abundant Life Centre so as to reduce
operational costs for much of our training needs and to train especially influential adults from
all over Kenya.
Recommendations
There is a need to spread our wings to cover larger areas of Kenya where FGM is
rampant. It means there is a need for more facilitators and more resources. Abundant Life
Centre will assist very much in this.
There is need of research on the changing shapes of FGM used by proponents of FGM.
This will help identify the methodology that can be used to address this issue.
There is deed for application of new technology.
More finance is needed to give more intensive and longer duration adult seminars.
More facilitators need to be trained so as to move into the more remote parts of the
country.
There is need for spiritual and psychological ministering to FGM survivors and their
families.
We have learnt that some tribes will end FGM only when the whole clan accepts. This
will need new strategies of manyatta by manyatta approach. This will be slow but
hopefully efficient in the long run. An individual will be ostracized if he changes alone.
Way
forward:
Abundant
Life
Centre:
For
Kenya
and
Africa:
It was projected that the first phase of Abundant Life Centre would be complete by February
2015 and be operational by May 2015. Various factors forced the board to change contractors
and this slowed down the construction. Few weeks ago, the construction has taken momentum
and roofing is underway. This will allow other interior functions to run concurrently hopefully
much faster to allow it to be operational the soonest possible.
The management board hopes to introduce income-generating activities that will supplement the
running costs of the centre as well as push the centre towards its financial self-sustainability.
The
construction
of
Abundant
Life
Centre
commenced
on
31st
March
2014,
at
Isinya,
Kajiado
County,
Kenya.
The
construction
will
occur
in
two
phases
as
indicated
below:
Activities
in
the
Centre:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
Overall
Estimated
Cost
Phase
1:
Hostel
block
for
96
participants
and
4
facilitators
=
38,500,000/-
(Under
Construction)
Furnishing
Hostel
=
1,162,600/-
Septic
Tank
=
2,884,500/-
Solar
system
=2,000,000
Underground
water
tank
=2,790,770/-
Kitchen,
dining
hall
and
lecture
rooms
=
22,800,000/-
Furnishing
kitchen
=
2,830,000/-
Animal
sheds
=
4,
661,
215/-
Total
Phase1
=
77,629,085/-
=
USD
862,545
Watch
man,
farm
worker,
dogs
etc.
for
5
years
(not
valued).
Total
Local
Donations
=
7,668,000/-
=
USD
85,200
Account Name:
Loreto Institute
Bank Address :
P
O
Box
44599
00100
-
NAIROBI
KENYA
41102
EURO
1001565-237
USD
1001563-773
GBP
1001563-811
KES
1001563-765
______________________________________________________
Abundant
Life
Centre
Under
Construction
April
2015
Teacher
Agnes
with
Nasibo
whom
we
saved
from
FGM
and
early
marriage.
Nasibo
is
an
A
student
finishing
secondary
school
this
year
2015.
Alternative
Rite
of
Passage
graduates
with
visitors
from
Ireland
Our
first
child
born
after
we
sent
her
mother
for
Fistula
Surgery
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