By Mrs. Phils D. Varfee
The group Stop FGM & Save Our Future appreciates the Global Media Campaign and its partners for the support and opportunity to implement this brief but very important event in ensuring that the rights of our children are protected.
The Campaign:
June 16 each year has been celebrated in our country but this year’s celebration with the involvement of us as FGM campaigners has added some new flavor to the observance of the Day of the African Child (DAC).
Our two radio shows on this day were an interesting interaction with the various guests at the only Community-Based Radio Station in Voinjama that continued to open her arms to us and been very supportive in this fight to end FGM despite the recently reported attack on its facility.
We hosted our first radio talk show at 11:00 am and discussed the rights of our children that must be protected with this year’s theme Eliminating Harmful Practices Affecting Children: Progress on Policy and Practice since 2013 and the second radio talk show hosted at 2:00 pm.
Our overall objective in all that we do as a team is to ensure that the practice of FGM is totally abolished considering the implications associated with the practice.
Below are the activists we invited for both radio talk shows.
- Pas. Alfred D. Lamine Liberia Council of Churches
- Paul J. Taylor, Lofa County Community College (LCCC)
- Jallahboi S. Koitee, FGM Victim
- Mr. Andrem S.K Cole, Officer in Charge, Free Pentecostal Hospital
- Ustine S. Philip- Youth for Change
- Winnie Horton- Student
First Talk-Show:
Pas. Alfred Lamie, Paul J. Taylor & Winnie Horton
Second Radio Show:
Jallahboi S. Koitee, FGM Victim, Mr. Andrew S.K Cole & Ustine S. Philip
The appearance of these activists during this year’s June 16 Day of the African Child (DAC) has intensified our awareness campaign through these media engagements.
These recent radio talk shows have helped increase sensitisation for our people thus having a great impact on ending FGM by discussing the danger or risks associated with FGM to women and girls in our district.
Challenges:
The major challenge we encountered during this recent DAC celebration is that the management of Radio Voice of Lofa in the dying minutes informed our team that the owner of the Radio in the person of Senator Stephen J.H Zargo that radio should never be used to discuss FGM.
As a result, we had to quickly engage the engagement of radio Kintoma to also allot two separate hours for our team to carry out the activities as planned and we want to say special thanks to the radio Kintoma family.
Recommendations:
- Adequate equipment/material support to Radio Kintoma that always supports our activities.
- Support to visit rural or high to reach communities to monitor the ban by the government is been enforced.
- Constant radio awareness through jingles and dramas
- Conduct community dialogue
- Identify alternative livelihood for cutters/traditionalists (ZOES)
