RESCUE 10,000 KENYAN GIRLS AT RISK OF HORRIFIC FGM

EMPOWERING GIRLS WITH EDUCATION

The woman is the caretaker of the home and family members. Her role is restricted to mainly bringing up children, and performing entire house hold chores such as collecting firewood, fetching water and observing cleanliness. Their role is so domesticated that they actually do construct their own houses. The women are kitchen gardeners as they do not have any right in determining the various uses for the piece of land. They do oversee the grazing of the livestock but have no say on deciding how to economically dispose off the livestock. However, they are allowed to sell farm produce and milk. Such are the expected paths of life of all girls who grow up in this community. Little wonder Kilgoris has few lady professionals since they do not go through schooling up to tertiary level. As soon as a girl attains 11 to 13 years of age she goes through Female Genital Mutilation and married off immediately, most probably, in a polygamous set up in exchange of an average seven cows. By the age of 15 years, the girl is not only a wife but also a mother.

Cherish Others expresses gratitude for the support of Global Giving Community. The project was able to reach out to 50 girls and all of their parents. This was a commendable achievement for the partnership which aims at changing the attitudes of the community members so that the community can regard the girl child as an equal to the boy child and therefore give her as much attention as possible.

There is need to empower girls with education and nurture them to acquire skills and knowledge to attain self actualization. The empowered girls exhibited great yearning for more and more knowledge. It was apparent that as days went by their morale and self confidence were greatly and positively enhanced.

• GROUP OF BENEFICIARIES AT AN EMPOWERMENT SEMINAR (RTF)

Cherish Others Organisation Kenya is dedicated to promote the education of the Masai Girl child in Kenya by sponsoring girls tuition and boarding in various schools whilst supporting their families. During the month of December, a period when most girls are put through Female Genital Mutilation, the organisation managed to put a group of thirty girls who were at risk of FGM and put them through the Alternative rite of passage, a period whereby they learn about the FGM, sexuality and what is expected of them in the society, only that the teachings are conducted without without putting the girls through the FGM cut.   

Lepishoi, a beneficiary of the project, says "I am Lepishoi. I am fourteen years old. Cherish Others has helped me with my schooI, personal things like sanitary towels and helping my family. Also I have attended the F.G.M. seminar and I have learnt many things.First thing is that I was not knowing is that the STI diseases and how it affects the body. Second is the spreading of HIV/AIDS and how it was firstly originally affect primates...thirdly is the type of F.G.M. of various community. I have known that there are various types of F.G.M. because of different cutting. I have learnt it is dangerous to health. I do not want FGM and I do not want to be married." We have seen girls express their gratitude to the organisation for the exposure and and for being granted the opportunity to be educated.

Cherish Others Organisation would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all the donors who devoted their resources and time to follow up on the progress of the project. The year has seen the coming on board of several donors, linked to us by Globalgiving, who have continued to support the education of the Masai Girl Child.

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