End Female Genital Mutilation in 9 schools, Kenya

Dear Friend and partner

Happy new year!! After going above and beyond to stay still amidst uncertainties of 2020, we get to meet here again still on a unified mission of ending FGM in Kenya. Thank you for your support. I am humbled and look forward to a more fruitful year.

As children resume learning in Kenya, there is a need to resume advocacy to end FGM in the same measure; if not more. And what a better way to do this than to pick right from where we left during school advocacy in Karantini Primary school in Nyamakoroto, Karantini, Machururiati, and Kiamwarimu primary schools alongside Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) in Nyamira county, Kenya.

HFAW got the opportunity to speak to girls between 9-15 years on the health effects of FGM. The objective of the sensitization forum was to empower the girl child with knowledge on resisting FGM. It is quite worrying that the more students stayed at home following the government announcing all schools to be closed and children to go home as a measure to curb the spread of Covid-19, there were increased cases of FGM. Thus, to reinforce the anti-FGM Message, and reiterate our stand against the harmful practice, we reminded the girls to remain cautious and report anybody persuading or forcing them to undergo FGM. Also, we spoke to the boys on how to be their sisters' keepers by helping report when aware that a classmate is at risk of undergoing FGM.

Additionally, we handed the school head HFAW Child protection posters to be placed at strategic positions within the school to act as a constant reminder that children need to be safe and healthy.
The outreach was successful. One of the key outcomes is that HFAW Received commitment from the students to be vocal about the issues facing them.

"if I get anybody planning to cut a girl, I will educate them on the effects of FGM. we have heard what we have never known come back when the whole school is open so that we share more', said one of the participants.

Dear partner, how comforting it is to know that you are seeing the change you are making in our community. You are empowering vulnerable girls with knowledge and skills to resist FGM hence increasing their chances for a better and brighter future. HFAW hopes that we continue collaborating, sharing, and learning from each other through this project.

 Dear Partner and Friend
It is wonderful to speak to you again. First and foremost, receive greetings from Hope Foundation for African Women members. We hope that you and your loved ones are fairing on well.

For the past month, we have been conducting community outreach programs. We would like to assure you that we have been following all the guidelines put forth by the government of Kenya to prevent the spread of the Corona Virus. That being said, we visited Gachuba, in Nyamira County, Kenya, to amplify the voices of the youths in creating change in the community.

The outreach in the region was informed by recent reports from the mainstream media which showed that there are increased cases of FGM since the government of Kenya ordered the temporary closure of schools as a measure to control the spread of Covid-19. Thus, together with trained health and human rights promoters, we conducted a full-day outreach where we interacted with at least 50 youths from the area.

 Some of the key messages during the training were the health effects of FGM, calling out for the end of Gender-Based Violence, protecting children from abuse, and holding the local leadership accountable for the social, political, and economic development of the community.

 We are grateful for the support that you have given us since the launch of this project. Times are tough for us because our resources are depleting. Sadly, we are staring at a gloomy future with regards to finding enough resources to conduct our outreaches. We ask you to stand with us and support us in any way you can so that we achieve the goal of ending female genital mutilation in Kenya.