On April 7, Msichana Empowerment Kuria will hold its first annual End FGM Community Champions Celebration. This celebration exists to recognize and award 40 extraordinary community members: girls, fathers, mothers and brothers who have courageously stood up against female genital mutilation in Kuria. It is our hope that through this public recognition of End FGM champions, others in the community will be encouraged to challenge and assess their own behaviors and beliefs toward the practice of female genital mutilation.
Msichana Empowerment Kuria is committed to supporting the Kuria West community by inspiring a new generation of change makers. Our core purpose is to eradicate female genital mutilation (FGM) by promoting positive community-wide behavior change. We acknowledge FGM as the greatest form of violence against women and girls. We concentrate on universal human rights education and advocate for gender equity through the socio-empowerment of disadvantaged women and girls. It is our strong conviction that women and girls despite their background or age should be allowed to live free from any form of violence and make informed choices concerning their lives.
We are ending FGM one girl, one community member, at a time. (Natalie Robi, founder)
Scroll down to learn more about the celebration, the champions, and how you can support.
ABOUT THE CELEBRATION
In the ongoing effort to End FGM, inclusiveness (across age group, gender, tribe) and meaningful community participation are our greatest strengths. Our champions have been selected in collaboration with community members and represent a diverse range of people across the four sub-counties in Kuria West. We will be recognizing 20 exceptional uncut girls with a certificate, umbrella, and #EndFGM school bag. During circumcision season, the umbrella is used to cover the newly circumcised girls on their parade from the circumcision site back to their home. The umbrella's symbolic meaning is widely known in Kuria and will make a statement when paraded during the celebration's march from Ikerege to Nyabokarange villages.
The 20 community-wide champions will be awarded a certificate and either an #EndFGM leso (women) or hat (men). Because it is our mission to celebrate every courageous individual in the End FGM movement we are also recognizing 170 additional uncut girls who have stood up to the cut also with #EndFGM t-shirts and umbrellas. These lesos, t-shirts, umbrellas, school bags, and hats will serve as continual reminders and affirmations to the community of the End FGM cause. The celebration will also serve as a platform for select champions to tell their stories and speak out against FGM in front of 600+ community members.
OUR CHAMPIONS
BONNY ANGAI MWITA
"An African woman with rights is ten times a man."
ANN BOSIBORI
"I refused circumcision because it has no benefit at all."
Mwita Wilson Turuka
"[Having uncircumcised daughters] has brought me a lot of shame and ridicule from my peers especially my age mates. They keep insulting me and even threaten to take away my girls by force but I always tell them to ‘try me’. I now talk to other fathers and mothers to stop girl circumcision because it does not have any benefit, it only hurts our girls."
Rael Moseti
"I went through secondary school and finished even college. I am now a trained teacher. I am now a role model to young girls."
mama robi
"Let me die a hero like Wangari Mathaai. Let me die a hero."
Catherine Endisa Mwita
"Now I know why girls should not be cut."
Maritinus Mwita Weremaa
"I circumcised my four girls back in the day, but all of them dropped out of school and got married. I saw them suffering and they became pregnant early...I changed my mind [on FGM]. I will not circumcise my two small girls. I wish more fathers would agree to change."
HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT
The celebration will be hosted as a public event, broadcasted strictly as a recognition ceremony where people can come to learn more about the End FGM movement. We are predicting a turn-out of around 600 people. In order for this event to run, our champions to be formally recognized, and the greater community to hear their stories, we need the help of donors who will stand with our cause.
COST BREAKDOWN
- 300 printed t-shirts – $1,350
- 186 printed umbrellas – $465
- 20 printed bags – $50
- 13 printed hats – $39
- 8 printed lesos – $20
- 20 certificates – $20
- Extraneous (processing fees, etc.) – $200
GOAL: $2,200
Support Msichana Empowerment and receive a handcrafted gift from Kenya.
$30 donation - Maasai beaded bracelet
$50 - Maasai one stranded beaded necklace
$75 - Maasai large bracelet
$100 - Maasai large necklace
$200 - Maasai shuka
$500 - All of the above
expected impact
Fewer girls get circumcised in 2018. Overall behavior and attitude change in over 30,000 community members.
#IAmAnEndFGMChampion
Credits:
Natalie Robi, Christina Craig, Anna Craig, Natalie Robi