RESCUE 10,000 KENYAN GIRLS AT RISK OF HORRIFIC FGM

Ruth Konchellah, the director, invited her mother, Grace Mesopirr Sicard, who lives in Kenya, to come to the U.S. to assist with fund raising for Cherish Others and to talk about the vision of the organization.  They travelled to Richmond, Spokane, and Tampa, where Grace talked about her journey as a young Maasai girl and woman, including having undergone the horrific practice of FGM.

Grace is the author of A Tale of a Maasai Girl, which is the story of Grace’s life.  As Grace discusses in her book, published in 1998, she was subjected to FGM at the age of 13 as part of the traditional ceremony marking the transition from childhood to adulthood.  Grace was then married at age 14 to a much older man, and had five children by age 20.  She wrote her book to raise awareness of this issue and of the related importance of empowering girls.  Grace overcame very difficult circumstances to become fluent in French and to work as a cultural assistant at the Kenyan Embassy in France, where she raised awareness about the Maasai and their rich culture.

Grace made heroic efforts to ensure that her daughters, including Ruth, were not subjected to FGM by sending them to a missionary boarding school.  Grace’s story helped inspire Ruth to form Cherish Others in 1998.  Cherish Others is continuing to raise awareness of FGM and is empowering girls in the Transmara region of Kenya.

The photo shows Grace, in the middle, with Ruth and her husband Michael.

Since our last periodic report, Cherish Others Organization Kenya has continued to carry out its activities to assist young women to avoid FGM and to empower them to avoid early marriage and to attend school. 

During December, Cherish Others will hold its periodic seminars in the Transmara region of Kenya aimed at sensitizing girls and their families, as well as boys and community members, regarding these issues. This community-based, grassroots approach is highly effective, and the rate of FGM has been slowly decreasing as a result of increased awareness. 

Cherish Others tremendously appreciate your donations, which are crucial to enabling our organization to continue to carry out its efforts.