Rescue Maasai Girls from Female Genital Mutilation

Dear friends,

When a girl is rescued from the threat of Female Genital Mutilation, it is easy to think the danger is over. But the truth is: rescue is just the beginning. The real journey begins after the escape; when fear is replaced by healing, and survival turns into hope.

We would like to tell you about Lucy. And also about what’s happening right now in the lives of girls like her, thanks to you.

Lucy’s story

Lucy is just 15. When we first met her, she was just about to be been pulled out of school, living in fear, and preparing for something no child should face. After her grandmother, who had raised her, passed away, Lucy's life quickly unraveled. Her father, unable to support her education, decided she would be cut and married off.

But Lucy was brave. She ran. Her mother helped her flee to a relative’s home, where Lucy heard about one of our anti-FGM workshop. That is when she reached out to us.

We arrived just in time. Her father had planned the cut for that same evening.

What followed was not a single dramatic rescue, but careful, quiet work. A conversation. A plea. A moment of truth with a man who had almost made a choice that would have changed his daughter’s life forever. In the end, he agreed to let her continue school. But Lucy couldn’t go back to that home. She didn’t feel safe.

We brought her to our safehouse. And that is where Lucy’s real healing began.

The Midterm challenge

Now, we are preparing again. The girls will soon return home for the midterm holiday, a time that should be about rest and family. But for many of them, it is a time of heightened risk.

It is during school breaks that the pressure to conform is strongest. Girls are more visible. Traditions are enforced. Plans are made in whispers and in secret. That’s why we don’t just wait and hope. We act.

This week, we are preparing:

• One-on-one check-ins with every girl under our care
• Phone calls and home visits where needed
• Emergency planning and contact protocols

Our goal is simple: No girl goes home without a plan. No girl faces this alone.

Healing is slow, but beautiful

Lucy now dreams of a bright future, and so do other girls under our program.

They laugh again. They raise their hands in class. They sleep through the night.

You have made that possible. Because of you:

• Our girls are safe, fed, and in school
• They are connected to mentors and emergency support
• They are learning what it means to live without fear

Help us keep them safe

Your support gives us the fuel to act fast, and the strength to stay for the long haul. As we prepare for midterm break, we ask you to keep walking with us.

Because what comes after rescue is everything.

With gratitude and hope,

FGM Zero Team