Gender Equality Kenya Project #29852

End Female Genital Mutilation in 9 schools, Kenya

by Hope Foundation for African Women (HFAW)

End Female Genital Mutilation in 9 schools, Kenya

Project Report | May 20, 2022
Treating Jiggers: a starting Point to end FGM in a

By Edah Mokua | Project Manager

A student's leg with burrowing jiggers

Dear Friend and Partner,

The first time our anti-fgm advocacy at Nyamusi Primary School in Nyamira County came to a standstill. There were 327 students among them 162 males and 165 females. We got a warm welcome and we were about to begin our work, only to notice that many students had torn uniforms, looked desperate and literary miserable due to poverty. Over 10 students were jigger infested. Our advocacy program was difficult to deliver. We planned to be back with medicines and other equipment to counter jiggers. This ended up opening an easier anti-FGM advocacy process.

Second round arrival at the school we found that still students were in a bad state because, due to myths and misconceptions, they were stigmatized as cursed due to jiggers. Many people think that jiggers are a curse. They were glam in rags with no shoes and innerwear, barefooted, and extremely low self-esteem. We were also informed that girls are most vulnerable to FGM in the surrounding village.

With the help of a public health officer and health assistant from a local community clinic whom we invited we cleaned their legs, sanitized them, applied medicine and vaseline, and sanitized them. In total we sanitized ten students with jiggers, provided them with new shoes and uniforms, and their self-esteem greatly improved. After sanitizing, we taught them about effects of FGM, the root causes, the impact not only on the girl child but the whole community. The positive response was overwhelming. Both students and teachers committed to be antifgm and anti-jiggers ambassadors.

‘I want to work like you to end FGM and jiggers, said Beatrice, one of the students who got shoes and school uniform.

Teachers were grateful and committed to continue treating the students until the jiggers were completely eradicated out of the school.

"I will teach people about the effects of FGM so that they can abandon the culture." Alois Nyasumi primary. ‘I want people to know that jiggers are caused by unhygienic conditions, not a curse. He said.

The head teacher reiterated that ending FGM should begin with ending jiggers. That jiggers are widespread in the village which is the origin. The children who live with grandmothers are most affected. Even their grandmothers are affected by jiggers.

Friends, we are grateful for your ongoing donations. Because of you we had a chance to address one of the most disturbing issue, jiggers in modern times. Jiggers hurt children and their grandmothers. It is hard to close our eyes. It is even harder to campaign against FGM when members of the community are hurting. Please continue with your donations and share widely so that our work to counter jiggers and FGM can be possible. Please share with your family and friends and let them know why this is important.

student wearing tattered uniform

Alois narrating how he will teach people about FGm

Students in new uniform, shoe and the headteacher

Gladys washing and sanitizing the student's feet

students receiving new uniform

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Jan 21, 2022
Ending and Beginning the Year with Ending FGM

By Lancer Wao | Communications Officer

Sep 21, 2021
Your Support has Enabled us to achieve so much-Have a look!

By Lancer Wao | Communications Officer

Lancer Wao (HFAW) during one of the past outreach

Dear Friend and Partner

Greetings! It is so great to connect with you again? How have you been since we last connected? We hope you are doing fantastic.

Over the past months, we have had various school outreaches targeting reaching school children to advocate for the end of female genital mutilation (FGM). As per the popular education model, participation is key in creating change. The model advocates that we understand a social problem from different perspectives of the stakeholders, understand what the solution is according to them, and together work towards solving the problem. We believe young girls are the center of the conversation on ending FGM and the more they are aware that the efforts are in the interest of their safety and well-being, the more they will support.

In this update, we shall give you information on the lessons we have learned from implementing the project of ending Female Genital Mutilation in schools, what we have achieved, the change we are seeing, and our outlook of the future even as we continue with the last quarter of the year.

What we have achieved?So far, we have conducted more than 10 schools outreach focussing on advocating for the end of FGM. In this, we have reached more than 2000 students and at least 50 teachers. Also, in some instances, we took it a notch higher to engage youths as well since they are the generation that we commonly refer to as 'FGM ends with their generation". So far, through this project, we have reached more than 200 youths.

What have we learned? FGM is prevalent because of a lack of information on its health effects on girls and women. With the right information and tools, the locals are willing to abandon the practice, for the safety of girls and women. Another lesson is that participation is key to success. Approaching the community from a point of wanting to understand how we can work together, what everyone's responsibility is, and how we can make a safer and healthier future for girls and women.

What has challenged us so far?We have come across challenges related to the overwhelming need versus what we can offer at our capacity. Because of limited resources, both human and financial, we cannot conduct the outreaches as regularly as we would wish. Nevertheless, we believe that we are on the right track and optimistic that what we are doing with the support you are giving us is positively transforming the community.

Dear Friend, we are thankful that we have you. We are proud of being aligned with your vision for change in the world. We are humbled that you continue to support us. Remember that you can share your work with your friends for them to see the wonderful work you are doing.

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