Radio conversation: End- FGM youth leaders and Children's officer give their opinions on ending FGM Tanariver County

By Salim Omar,

The Radio Talk show:

We had a radio talk show conducted at Amani FM which is based in Tanariver County with over three hundred and fifty local listeners across Lamu, Kilifi, and Tanariver County. The radio station has also incorporated a link where you could listen to the talk show from anywhere in Africa.

Present were:

1.Md Helena Bonaya -Tanadelta Children Officer

2.Faiza Mwanadie -Student leader at Marifano Secondary School

3.Daniel Onyango -Youth leader Tarasaa Bodaboda Association

We discussed issues including Harmful cultural practices, such as child marriage, early pregnancy, and female genital mutilation (FGM), and steps taken by different stakeholders to end them.

Our success:

"It’s hilarious how some people get uncomfortable the very moment someone mentions the word “FGM”, especially a man. My plea is that let us empower a girl’s life by ending FGM."Youth leader Daniel Onyango, Tanariver Click To Tweet "Let's talk to our daughters and play with our sons. We need to be more friends with them than anyone else. Society offers a lot unworthy friends. Before they meet those friends they need to find there best friends in us" Children… Click To Tweet

A Parents’ roles in maintaining the rights of the African child are limitless.
Childrens officer – Helena Bonaya

Challenges:

Due to the weather conditions and the terrain of our county road accessibility was a major challenge but we all manage to reach the station and execute our mandate.

Strong messages:

Youths have decided that FGM has no place in our society and embarking on a campaign to end it in our county.
We should enhance creating awareness about the effects of FGM and other harmful cultural practices at the village level
Girls with voices are strong girls who can be part of the revolution to end harmful practices against them

Unexpected wins:

The female student leader who was invited to talk about the plight of the African child from her perspective did a wonderful job in elaborating challenges they are facing and possible solutions on how we can remove hurdles the girls are facing so they can reach their potential.