Stella Alex - Radio Domus
The level of poverty in Kajiado county especially in the Maasai community is very high, this fact has greatly contributed to the long drought that has been witnessed in the area, and meeting personal and family needs has become a huge problem.
According to a report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), among the 23 counties affected by the drought, 14 are considered to be areas of female genital mutilation and in the Maa community, female genital mutilation is at 78%. These facts were confirmed by the residents of Kaara, Matasia, and Kibiko in Kajiado County where most of them confessed that FGM is still under practice and it is a tradition and custom that they will continue to uphold.
Daniel Liriunga, an elder of the Maasai community, confirms that there are cases of female genital mutilation in the Maa community, but the drought has affected the activity and as soon as the rains fall, they will resume. “We are waiting for the rains and also for the children to come for holidays so that the female circumcision can continue but for now we are only focusing on the animals that are dying because of the drought.”
Girls Rescue centre, an organization under the leadership of Christian Mission Aid in Birika Kajiado county is a saviour of many girls who get rescued from their homes due to the issue of female genital mutilation. Some of the girls in this organization were rescued from parents wanting to circumcise them and marry them off to rich men to get wealth, due to poverty crawling into their homes caused by the drought. “I remember a week before coming to this rescue centre, I found my father at home after school, and he told me that we were to host a party that evening. I knew that they wanted to circumcise me and after that, I would get married, so I had to run away from home. After a few days, the chief found me and planned on how I would be brought to this rescue centre.”
With determination and focus written on their faces, the girls at Girls Rescue centre are urging their parents and guardians to stop the issue of female mutilation either in dry or rainy seasons.
With determination and focus written on their faces, the girls at Girls Rescue centre are urging their parents and guardians to stop the issue of female mutilation either in dry or rainy seasons.
Emily Kavere, the manager at Girls Rescue Centre says they have been able to rescue a large number of girls and helped them in different ways to achieve their goals. “We have been able to rescue more than 200 girls since this Rescue Centre began. There are some, who have already completed their university and college studies, and have stable jobs, others who got married and have amazing families, and we currently have 75 girls in the program who are still going on with their primary and secondary studies, university, and tertiary colleges. We ensure that the girls have all their personal needs that make them feel comfortable because this is their home and a haven for them.”
Inspire Teenagers Foundation and Peace Ambassadors for Children in Kenya under the leadership of Susan Wavinya and Grace Lantoi Kapaiko respectively are Non-Governmental Organisations that are pushing for a change in collaboration with the national and county government to control cases of female genital mutilation in Kajiado county.
