Rescue Maasai Girls from Female Genital Mutilation

We are so proud to announce that Silvia S, one the first girls we protected from Female Genital Mutilation -- the horrific human rights crime in Kenya that is also known as Female Cutting -- has graduated from college and joined the workforce!

With the help of donations from GlobalGiving donors, Silvia graduated high school four years ago and managed to pass Kenya's rigorous college entrance examinations.

Silvia never gave up!

Despite obstacles few of us can imagine, Silvia managed to stay in college and was recently rewarded with a degree in Information Science.

Anthony K (Global Roots Operations Manager and Jack of All Trades in Kenya)  helped Silvia win a position with a leading Kenyan company that specializes in providing Building Management Systems -- which is basically security and access systems for business premises.

The job is a great opportunity for Silvia to get real hands-on experience and work on-site with client offices. Eventually, if all goes well, she will win the opportunity to help design some of the customized systems.

Silvia was forced to request more assistance from Global Roots recently when a former classmate of hers who she was hoping to stay with was forced to move out of Nairobi.

With no other options, Silvia asked for help and Global Roots provided the funds she needs to stay at a local hostel.

She is now staying at Qwetu Student Residences. The cost is US$150 per month – much less than other appropriate accommodations in the area.

Silvia's job pays only  US$140 per month so we need to send her more funds to survive on until she gets her first raise. We know she will!!

Here is a personal letter of thank you to Global Giving donors.

Hello. Hope you are doing great.

I would like to appreciate your scholarship  that has been the best thing that has ever happened to my life. At least my future is now bright. I can tell from the education journey that you've guided me through your sponsorship. I pray and hope daily that one day, I would graduate with a bachelor's degree that you have enabled me to go through.

Were it not for your sponsorship through high school and now to a university, I would have succumbed to the cruel Maasai culture of female genital mutilation and I would have been sent off to early marriage. 

The main problem that I have noted this days is early pregnancy. Global roots foundation has enabled me to have my strong qualities and standards that help me not to fall for this new traps. At least my life has taken a new direction courtesy of your assistance.

You are a blessing and I always appreciate your support. I promise to work hard and make you and the whole of global roots proud.

Thank you so much. 

Silvia S.

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WE COULD NOT BE MORE PROUD OF SILVIA. Please see the attached photo of Silvia holding the laptop computer we bought her when she was in college.

GlobalGiving Donors: thank you for your continued donations.

We started to protect 72 girls from FGM in 2008 but we didn't really know what success would look like. We started with just a handful of girls but this number swelled to 72 girls in 2010.

More and more girls started to run away from home on the night they were to be mutilated and sold into marriage because they learned of a brave Maasai woman named Carol who would protect them.

Carol turned to Global Roots when she heard a radio announcment from our founder who reached out to anyone who was protecting young girls from FGM.

With many girls living in her two bed-room house, Carol had noone else to turn to. She traveled across the Maasai Mara to meet with Rick and a partnership was born.

Now, ten years later, we still have 32 girls in the program and we are looking for sponsors who can help each girl finish high school and get through college. Each girl has a name, a life and an email address!!

Please contact Global Roots if you would like to sponsor a Maasai School Girl!! Email info@globalroots.org or call our founder Rick at 503 866 9525

In the meantime, than you for your donations on this GlobalGiving platform.

You are honestly helping us to save young lives!!