By Shucayb Obsiiye,
Powerful messages from students that are inspired to take action to help end FGM.
4 week Media Campaign
About:
Shucayb Obsiiye, is a Somali professional journalist based in Jigjiga who has worked with some of the main media houses in the region for the past years. He currently works for Horn cable TV in the Somali region of Ethiopia. In addition, He is one of the journalists who write on social media from the Somali region in Ethiopia country.
For the last two years, shucayb was leading the anti-FGM campaign during that time our campaign has reached millions of the Somali region population. He and his team have mobilized Somali region journalists and media, artists and singers bands, doctors associations, anti-FGM campaigners, social activists, youth associations, women associations, traditional elders, and religious leaders.
Media Reach:
• Horn cable TV is one of the most widely watched Somali TV which has millions of viewers and supporters across the Somali nation and reaches all Somali territories in eastern Africa and beyond.
• This Television facilitated our media campaign to reach millions of the Somali population who need to get awareness about the negative impact of FGM and its side effects to end FGM in the Somali region and that is the reason we selected this TV channel.
The Project title
“Schools Media Campaign”
Shucayb conducted a School media campaign most highly populated four secondary and preparatory schools in Jigjiga city. These schools were:
- Sheikh Nur Ise secondary and preparatory school
- Jigjiga community secondary and preparatory school
- Sheikh abdisalan secondary and preparatory school and
- Kaah 2 secondary preparatory school
Four weeks Proceedings:
Week 1
On the First week we started the school media campaign at Jigjiga Community Secondary and Preparatory School.
Jigjiga Community School Director:
Director Abdulahi welcomed the media campaigners with open hands and narrated to his students that he has never supported conducting FGM and he will never support it because it is an act against humanity. Abdulahi also told the students :
“I encourage students to fight against FGM to keep away from this act. Please share the information with the other students who did not get this precious opportunity to participate.”
Director Abdulahi
Abdi Aziiz Aaden Warsame Grade:12
Abdi Kadir told that
“lack of awareness brought these problems.”
"I have now gained enough knowledge about FGM problems and drafted FGM Fatwa. I can prevent whatever I can by asking perpetrators to stop conducting FGM." Abdi Aziiz Aaden, Grade 12 student, Somalia region, Ethiopia Click To Tweet "It is everybody's responsibility to end FGM."Abdi Aziiz Aaden, Grade 12 student, Somalia region, Ethiopia Click To Tweet“the only way we can end it is by encouraging marrying non-circumcised girls.”
Samira Ali Sayid grade 12:
Independent anti-FGM Fatwa Committee member
Dr. Abdirahman Akil
Dr. Akil deeply discussed the Impacts of FGM
- Bleeding can cause acute death.
- Severe pain because they do not use lidocaine.
- Brutal of the body(Bruises)
- Infection
- Difficulty in urinating.
- Difficult in birth.
- Severe pain during menstruation.
- During Sex
- Death during delivery.
- Primary Infertility
Psychological impact
- Stress and trauma.
- Fast anger.
- Fear of Marriage
Social impacts
- Spouse destruction
- Usage of drugs during sex.
Solution:
Dr. Akil presented some of the solutions to end FGM and said that:
“We need the active role of the Islamic scholars, educators, and young students to end FGM.”
Sheik Abdulahi Farah (Makhluq) : The View of Islam. Allah gave the women basic rights:
- Right to live because before Islam the right to live was not allowed and the Quran asks the question in the Quran saying that “Why those women were killed”
- Giving them nourishment all her basic life such as food, cloth, drink, and education.
- Right to marry because she has the right to be consulted with the marriage decision.
- Right to protect because it is an obligation to be protected by her father, husband, brother, or son.
Islamic religion prohibited conducting FGM, or harming women’s bodies because Allah gave prestige to all human beings, women are made like queens, and taking as evidence the narrations of Prophet Mohamed said the Jannah (paradise) is under the heels of the mothers.
At the end of the program the election of anti-FGM committee members of Jigjiga Community Secondary School was held at the school Hall. The election process was conducted in a very fair manner.
During the election, the committee chairperson and the deputy chairperson were elected in a majority vote in the hall then the other committee members were elected later.
Anti-FGM Committee at Jigjiga community Secondary and preparatory school Jigjiga
Week 2
Sheik Nur Isse Secondary and Preparatory School.
Istareh Sheik Hussen Grade 12:
“I am ready to implement this program and lessons, I am planning to share what I learned here with my colleagues, families, and friends and tell the parents what they did during their ignorance.”
Siman Ahmed grade 10
“Therefore, as students, we are ready to take on our role and pass the information to all students and friends as much as possible.”
Finally, the election of anti-FGM committee members of Sheik Nur Isse Secondary School holds at sheik Nur Isse Hall. The election process was conducted in a very fair manner.
Week 3
At KAAH (2) Secondary and preparatory school.
Samira Ahmed Abdilahi grade 10:
FGM is a very painful and traumatic harmful tradition that young girls like me can feel since we have experienced the pain and the damage during our lifetime. For that reason, Umalkayr advised young girls and boys in the school to raise their voices to end FGM and transmit what we have learned here today to other students who did not get a chance today as well as other community members.
Week 4
Sheikh Abdisalan Secondary and preparatory School
Abdiwahab Ahmed Grade 12th
“I found out about the health problems of female genital mutilation (FGM) which I used to think was just like boys being circumcised and girls being circumcised." Abdiwahab Ahmed Grade 12, Somalia Region, Ethiopia Click To Tweet“When I listened to the lectures given by the doctor and the sheikh on the health effects of female genital mutilation as well as the Islamic perspective and the position of female genital mutilation, I was enlightened by something I had never before been enlightened.
“I also found out that Islam strongly opposes this practice. As a student, I will begin by raising awareness and stopping this at our home, family, relatives, and Clans until we reach other community parts.”
Aamina Ali shire Grade 11th
“I will be the first one who will try to stop FGM, starting from our home, family, neighbours, and so on.”
Director Abdikadir Abdirahman while presenting his closing speech said:
We are very delighted that the media community has come to our school to carry out this awareness campaign.
“As a director, I am suggesting you transfer the lessons learned today to other students at school, in your, Families, neighborhood, and the community as a whole.”
The success of the Schools Media campaign:
- Establishing anti-FGM school clubs for the first time. These committees contain five executive members committee chairperson, a deputy chairperson, a secretary, and two active members. The school anti-FGM committees are willing to get TOT on anti-FGM media campaign training to transfer the knowledge to the other students in the class and hold continuous awareness in the school.
- Students received a very constructive basic knowledge of the negative impacts and problems of FGM it is a harmful tradition and traumatic issue, which needs to fight against it completely.
- Being part of the program most popular Doctors, Islamic scholars, media activists, and sharia law experts encourage the community to fight against FGM to eradicate it Somali region.
