By Nicole Marie Alexander | Senior Manager, Communications
"My niece bled to death when she was circumcised. She was twelve," says 13-year-old Nayieso. Although she was only eight at the time, she still remembers it as if it were yesterday. "There was a great panic. The circumciser and the woman who helped her didn't know what to do. No one knew how to save her. And there was no clinic around that she could have been taken to." Since then, Nayieso has been vehemently opposed to female circumcision. Fortunately, her parents also support her. "Because of the deadly incident with my niece, they realize that female circumcision is dangerous."
Nayieso is incredibly happy that she can go through the Alternative Rite of Passage (ARP) program. "This way, I can become a woman without enduring torture and life-threatening risks." Her parents are also pleased with the alternative ritual and encouraged her to participate. "I am very proud that they have promised to protect me from female circumcision."
She is elated by all the education she receives during this special week. "We learned the dangers of having sex at a young age; how getting pregnant young puts you at a high risk of not finishing your education. This causes a lot of poverty in our community." She also learned about the other risks associated with female circumcision. "Unfortunately, I have seen for myself how deadly it can be. But I didn't know, for example, that after your circumcision, you can have serious complications during childbirth."
The boys in her community also receive lessons about the dangers of female circumcision, and Nayieso is very pleased about that. "They are our future spouses," the teen said. "It is extra important to also give boys this education. You see more and more boys protecting their sisters if the parents want her circumcised."
Nayieso wants to get married once she's finished with her education, finds a job, and receives a steady salary. "That way, I won't be dependent on my husband." The teenager is the best at her school in languages, especially English, and would like to become a lawyer.
"In the future, I would like to teach people in much more remote villages about the ARP and the dangers of female circumcision," says Nayieso. She wants to focus on the circumcisers so they can realize how dangerous it is and stop this cultural practice.
"Female circumcision is just a terrible thing. I hope no one has to endure it anymore."
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