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Being a girl born of a Luo mother and a Kisii, father all my siblings were cut, except me, but I suffered the discrimination and isolation in the school, but I thanks to Madam Claudia who trained and equipped me and to date have helped never seized to safe the girls, FGM

Anonymous submission

Being a girl born of a Luo mother and a Kisii, father all my siblings were cut, except me, but I suffered the discrimination and isolation in the school, but I thanks to Madam Claudia who trained and equipped me and to date have helped never stopped to safe the girls, FGM.

Anonymous submission

I met a woman who was cut during my campaign, she felt that it was the normal thing to do, she even felt my parents were not serious to have let me grow up without cutting me, but after I explained to her what FGM means and the consequences, she was shocked and listened the problems she has been going through in her marriage of which FGM had caused her, today she campaigns alongside with me and assisted me to write a book creating awareness on female genital mutilation. Starting up, I was discouraged but her case gave me reasons never to give up in my campaign 

 

Aderomose Lois Tofunmi

Nigeria

 Being coming from a patriarchal community I have stood so firm to challenge my fellow young people on to why we must stand so firm protecting our sisters Aganist undergoing FGM I believe we as young Elites Are the only people to change our parents Perceptions on to why the need not only to STOP but also to Champion for Eradication of FGM and through Global media Campaign this has happened through local media Radio stations in Samburu county done and implemented by Nkopiro Foundation. We are the voice to change FGM perceived Cultures among our people. Regards: 

Leseketeti Frank Ltaniki 

UNFPA youth advisory panel member. C.E.O and Founder Nkopiro Foundation ~C.B.O

I met a woman who was cut during my campaign, she felt that it was the normal thing to do, she even felt my parents were not serious to have let me grow up without cutting me, but after I explained to her what FGM means and the consequences, she was shocked and listened the problems she has been going through in her marriage of which FGM had caused her, today she campaigns alongside with me and assisted me to write a book creating awareness on female genital mutilation. Starting up, I was discouraged but her case gave me reasons never to give up in my campaign Aderomose Lois Tofunmi Nigeria

Omahe Mwita

Kuria, Kenya

I take my time to know why do they practice #FGM in my Family, community and Nigeria entirely. I realise that all the FGM practices is been done base on “ignorance” and lack of orientation most especially at the grassroots level. It is time and the time is now to end #FGM at all level through all the stakeholders and I urge all the #FGM campaigners to be involved in position of authority in other to create a “sustainable law” that will deprived all cultures that see practices of FGM and gender violations as norms. #EndTheCut #StopTheCut #EndFgm

Anonymous submission

I take my time to know why do they practice #FGM in my Family, community and Nigeria entirely. I realise that all the FGM practices is been done base on “ignorance” and lack of orientation most especially at the grassroots level. It is time and the time is now to end #FGM at all level through all the stakeholders and I urge all the #FGM campaigners to be involved in position of authority in other to create a “sustainable law” that will deprived all cultures that see practices of FGM and gender violations as norms. #EndTheCut #StopTheCut #EndFgm

Anonymous submission

Engaging all the stakeholders in the fight to #endfgm is the best way, having in mind that no one has been left behind. During a radio dialogue at Togotane radio, Zachary, Kuria West coordinator of the council of elders, stated that most people think that they are witches and everything they do is to harm the community but on the contrary, they are just like other people, they have families too, “I have 3 girls whom I have not cut despite me being the cultural leader,” he added.

This implies that it’s very easy if we work together as a team to end the cut. Similarly, through media campaigns on both radio, tv, and even caravans, it is so easy to convince someone of the effects of mutilation and the benefits of girls’ education over mutilation…this will end if we both have the same spirit.

Moses Igayi

#MenEndFGM movement

 In March 2020, when schools closed after the Covid-19 outbreak, ROBI (Name changed) was a happy-go-lucky 13-year-old. By March 2021, she was married and pregnant. ROBI 14, is only married, and no longer in school, because in the Abakuria culture she is an adult; thanks to the practice of female circumcision. “My mother wanted me to undergo Female Genital Mutilation. She said I was ready,” she says. “I wouldn’t have got married without the cut.” She underwent the rite of passage in October 2020. By December, she had attracted a suitor. ROBI lost her father, the family’s breadwinner, to a short illness in 2016. Getting cut – to be married off seemed like a profitable option for her struggling mother. She would benefit from ROBI’s bride price – cows considered to be wealth in the community. Physically and even in her mannerisms, ROBI is still a child on the cusps of adolescence. She is still trying to figure out life like any other girl her age. 

Omahe Mwita

Kuria, Kenya

I went through FGM close to thirty five years ago, The humiliation of stripping naked before strangers.. not to mention the pain of the act robbed me of my innocence and dignity.Mungu Yuko.

Anonymous submission

I graduated from GMC Mali in 2018. I made several awareness campaigns through several media which allowed me to sensitize several people. During my activities my partners were generally doctors, midwives, Religious leader activists, journalists, survivors … and I met people suffering from FGM who gave me a lot of courage to put an end to this practice. So I am one hundred percent determined to end FGM in the world and especially in Mali.

Anonymous submission

A Teacher in Kenema, Sierra Leone wanted to help his aunt to cut their children this December, but after listening to an FGM discussion at SLBC Kenema he changed his mind and also made her listen to the Campaign Team on Radio to know the dangers of FGM.  She has made up her mind and will not cut them… and she is even ready to join the campaign team.  So the campaign against FGM has helped this woman and her family so much.

Joseph R Tholley,
Team leader Kenema

Bendu Momoh of Methodist Junior Secondary School, Kenema, Sierra Leone, a JSS3 pupil was trained by the Amazonian Initiative Movement (AIM) with support from Wallace Global Fund through the Global Media Campaign. Bendu is one of the members of the School Clubs of Influence formed by AIM. She was very brave and outspoken during the training and in her contributions and shed tears after the sessions. 

Ten days after school was closed, Bendu’s parent invited a Sowei (traditional cutter) to cut her and other children from her neighborhood. She was confronted by her mother but Bendu refused and used her knowledge from the training to convince her peers not to accept subjection to FGM. She asked her dad to choose between her education or initiation.

Bendu threatened to drop out of school if they insisted on getting her cut.

She called on her teacher and Director of AIM to train more schools in Kenema district as it is one stronghold for FGM.

Anonymous submission

Through the media support received from GMC during the summer cutting media campaign, on radio Togotane 88.3 FM in Kuria, Migori County, Kenya, I called upon our County Commissioner of police, Mr. Meru, to step up surveillance efforts in Kuria; and last week, he heeded to my call by coming to Kuria and gave all local administration a directive to step up FGM surveillance and reporting in their respective locations and villages.

Through the last radio talk, more chiefs in Kuria are now reaching out,  supporting the end FGM campaign. An example is Chief Muhindi Motatiro of Komotobo location who has gone ahead and formed an Anti-FGM committee and a work plan that will help in accelerating ending FGM from the locational level. Also looking forward to seeing other chiefs do the same.

#MediaToEndFGM

Vincent Ogallo, Kuria, Kenya

Après avoir mené un combat contre les MGF à travers la campagne Global Media, j’ai discuté avec une femme habitant la Préfecture de Labé sur les conséquences néfastes liées à la santé de la fille et de la femme. Elle a donc décidé d’arrêter l’excision de la fillette, elle accepte donc de participer à la sensibilisation pour l’abandon des MGF, non seulement qu’elle se souvient avoir perdu une nièce à cause de l’excision par hémorragie, en plus à cause de l’excision là-bas. Il y a beaucoup de femmes qui sont battues, elle a promis de dénoncer toute personne qui pratiquerait les MGF dans son quartier.

Anonymous submission

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