1

Termination of FGM NARRATIVE REPORT April 2014 - March 2015

Introduction

The year started with a full plate of activities that run throughout the year. The major activities were the FGM education program of seminars to boys and girls as well as to adult groups on the reality and consequences that FGM brings to the entire society. We are happy to announce that requests for FGM seminars increased tremendously this year as a result of which the project has moved to Kericho Diosece, this to us is a sign that the impact of our efforts is felt in the community. The facilitators in the field, directed by Dr. Sr. Ephigenia did excellent work to meet these requests. The second PHASE of the project, i.e. the construction of Abundant Life Centre is also progressing well (See photos).

Seminars: Institutions and organized groups continue to request for FGM seminars in their areas. Many such seminars were held in Nakuru, Ngong and Kericho Dioceses with two new areas of Mau Narok and Bomet. The seminars were as usual given to local leaders like the chiefs, church and village elders, pupils and students of primary and secondary schools both boys and girls. At the close of the seminars participants are always dismayed by what they learn about FGM. The Videos that are show are particularly effective in bringing the reality of FGM to the audience. We have seen big men weep and leave the room where the DVD is being shown before the show is over. Many of these people become our best ambassadors on the ground. Christian Rite of Passage seminars: Successful Christian rites of passage were conducted in five locations in Mogotio, Dondori, Rongai, Bomet, Gilgil and Lower Subukia all in the Rift Valley of Kenya. The seminar in Gilgil was organized hurriedly when we learnt that FGM was to be performed on 12th December 2014 in time for the girls to heal before Christmas. The turn up was very encouraging with a total of 96 girls attending. However some parents whom we had taught still took 30 girls for the cut on a hill near the centre where we held the CROP. Our girls would laugh and say, at this time those on the hill cannot urinate and are crying in pain. Fistula Good News: The good news is that for the past year, fistula operations are now offered free of charge in all Government hospitals in Kenya and by many private hospitals. The frequent coverage of fistula situation in the Kenyan media has made many women who have suffered in silence for many years, come to the fore and seek treatment. Women continue to come to the open after our seminars and our staff bring them to various hospitals.

2

Special Experiences: 1. On 22nd December 2014, over 3000 Saburu Elders were aired on Kenyan television demonstrating against the Government for stopping FGM without consulting them. They stated categorically that they want FGM for their daughters and wives. Fortunately a group of Saburu women spoke to the media sometime later expressing their anger that their elders, who are men, have spoken on FGM and they are not the ones who are cut. Sometime later, a group of Saburu Morans (young worriers) stated the same opinion saying they do not want FGM for their wives and daughters. This incident is a positive one for us campaigners against FGM because the incidents demonstrated to us that there is some change taking place between the older generation and the younger generation regarding the practice of FGM. Such a public declaration denouncing the elders has never been heard of before in that community. The elders also declared that they will continue to kill any baby born of uncircumcised woman even as they have always done. (Older women break the skull of the fetus and so the uncut woman has an induced miscarriage). No Saburu child is ever born of uncut woman. The sound of such a child crying is taboo. N.B: In February 2014, over 200 Maasai women held a huge demonstration declaring that they want FGM. (See youtube). All this is a proof that we may need to change our strategies drastically. Near the place of this demo, a daughter of a chief died after the cut three months earlier. 2. During our Rite of passage seminar in Bomet, a chief was shot with an arrow in the opposite valley to where we were because he stopped a group of people from circumcising some girls, Hon Kilimo, on FGM Government desk, spoke about this incident on Television on 18th December 2014. 3. In Gigil early December 2014, our team received an urgent call to rescue girls who were to be circumcised on 12th December. We planned and gave Christian Rite of Passage to 96 girls. Some parents, out of the ones we had taught, still took 30 girls for the cut to a nearby homestead where they were housed for the cut. During CROP seminar, our girls were very happy singing and danced and commented that their friends were in pain and could not urinate because of pain. A very young mother of one of the girls who were cut said, I want my daughter to go to school and not to be married early after the cut, but my husband stands in front of my hut and swears that no girl in his homestead will remain uncut. She says that the beating she would get from the husband with kicks and blows and thrashing with sticks is too much to bear. She was in tears and helpless. The women begged us to tell their husbands about FGM and to obtain permission for the wives to attend FGM seminars without having to cheat when they come to our seminars. In the same area and month December 2014, a girl was taken to hospital on the point of death. The doctor treated the child to save her life without reporting the case to authorities for fear that reporting may make such girls die without medical care.

3

4. Kuria: On 27th December our team met a group of 20 Kuria girls some as young as 10 years at the Kenya Tanzania Border. They had just been cut by Kenya circumcisers whom Tanzania parents say are experts for the job. The girls were miserable and frightened but the mob escorting them were dancing and singing in frenzy wearing masks and tins and bells, tinkles, whistles, and bottles all over the body. Blood was all over the road. One big girl with a full bust fainted and was carried shoulder high by men who said what a lucky girl she was because a very rich and influential man had booked her for marriage. 5. Maasai women:

Summary of seminars held between April 2014 - March 2015

SEMINARS GROUP NUMBER OF DAYS FACILITATED

PARTICIPANTS

FACILITATORS

ONE DAY SEMINAR

MALE F TOTAL M F TOTAL

pupil/student 93 DAYS 7971 9592 17513 79 168 247 ADULTS 48 DAYS 1307 2286 3693 57 54 111

TWO DAYS SEMINAR

ADULTS

20 DAYS

237

395

624

9

15

24

One week Rite of Passage for Girls

GIRLS 42 DAYS 0 846 846

TOTAL 213 9515 13119 22,634 145 237 382

Conclusion

After 15 years of working to terminate FGM in many parts of Kenya, the enormity of the problem is becoming more and more apparent. It is disheartening to have to say that Termination of FGM is likely to last for a few more generations. The greatest obstacle continues to be the relationship between the practice and African Traditional beliefs, which coexist with Christian beliefs. One of these obstacles is the secrecy of the subject of sex. Males especially do not know the physiology of a woman so that they do not know what FGM does to a woman and its consequences. As a result they propagate FGM in ignorance. Sex education that TFGM Project tries very much to do is one way of removing this handle.

We are aware of the many new obstacles and challenges that accompany our efforts. The immediate challenge is the changing face of FGM and the new players involved. The activity of cutting girls has gone under-ground and taken new faces since the practice was declared illegal by the Government of Kenya in September 2011.

The TFGM project has undertaken a change of methodology of delivering seminars. We have begun devoting more time to the participants culture. We are researching more effective ways of changing the attitudes of adult persons.

4

Seminars to students will COME INTO effect in the next generation when these children do not take their children for FGM. In the meantime, we shall work for cooperation between the adults we teach, the administrators, the media and especially the churches.

We are also looking forward to the completion of the Abundant Life Centre so as to reduce operational costs for much of our training needs and to train especially influential adults from all over Kenya.

Recommendations

There is a need to spread our wings to cover larger areas of Kenya where FGM is rampant. It means there is a need for more facilitators and more resources. Abundant Life Centre will assist very much in this.

There is need of research on the changing shapes of FGM used by proponents of FGM. This will help identify the methodology that can be used to address this issue.

There is deed for application of new technology. More finance is needed to give more intensive and longer duration adult seminars. More facilitators need to be trained so as to move into the more remote parts of the

country. There is need for spiritual and psychological ministering to FGM survivors and their

families. We have learnt that some tribes will end FGM only when the whole clan accepts. This

will need new strategies of manyatta by manyatta approach. This will be slow but hopefully efficient in the long run. An individual will be ostracized if he changes alone.

Way forward:

Abundant Life Centre: For Kenya and Africa:

It was projected that the first phase of Abundant Life Centre would be complete by February 2015 and be operational by May 2015. Various factors forced the board to change contractors and this slowed down the construction. Few weeks ago, the construction has taken momentum and roofing is underway. This will allow other interior functions to run concurrently hopefully much faster to allow it to be operational the soonest possible.

The management board hopes to introduce income-generating activities that will supplement the running costs of the centre as well as push the centre towards its financial self-sustainability.

The construction of Abundant Life Centre commenced on 31st March 2014, at Isinya, Kajiado County, Kenya. The construction will occur in two phases as indicated below: Activities in the Centre:

a. Training of trainers for Rites of Passage, Girls/Boys, b. Training Campaigners for FGM, c. Psychological and spiritual Healing services for FGM survivors and families, d. Psychological services for Fistula survivors,

5

e. Model small-farming for pastoralist neighbours, help to the Centre, f. Development of tree nursery to forest grassland neighbourhood, g. Cold room for milk of neighbouring pastoralist mothers, h. Small facility for crafts for neighbouring mothers.

Overall Estimated Cost Phase 1:

Hostel block for 96 participants and 4 facilitators = 38,500,000/- (Under Construction) Furnishing Hostel = 1,162,600/-

Septic Tank = 2,884,500/-

Solar system =2,000,000

Underground water tank =2,790,770/-

Kitchen, dining hall and lecture rooms = 22,800,000/-

Furnishing kitchen = 2,830,000/-

Animal sheds = 4, 661, 215/-

Total Phase1 = 77,629,085/- = USD 862,545

Activities ALREADY done by Loreto Sisters:

1. Purchase of 30 acres of land valued @ 1,500,000/- = 45,000,000/- 2. Fencing the land = 2,000,000/- 3. Bore Hole, solar tank and over-head tank = 2,459,981/- 4. Two ground plastic tanks = 300,000/- 5. One ground concrete tank valued @ = 2,616,650/- 6. Fruit trees 1000 valued @200/- = 200,000/- 7. Other trees, 500 valued @ 100/- = 50,000/- 8. Semi permanent sheds and toilets valued = 1,200,000/- 9. Change of user (Adverts etc.) =250,000/- 10. NEEMA Permit (National Environmental Management Authority = 350,000/- 11. County Council of Kajiado permission to build = 1,000,000/- 12. COUNTY Council of Kajiado Change of User = 10,500/- 13. Bills of Quantities = 300,000/- 14. Architectural Drawings = 600,000/- 15. Structural Drawings = 400,000/- 16. Site Clearing = 10,200/- Total Spent BY Loreto Sisters = 56,230,581/- = USD 624,784

Local donations: Two cows @ 60,000/- = 120,000/- Eight sheep @6,000/- = 48,000/- Five acres of land valued @1,500,000/- = 7,500,000/-

6

Watch man, farm worker, dogs etc. for 5 years (not valued). Total Local Donations = 7,668,000/- = USD 85,200

Total spent + Local contribution = 63,898,581 = USD 709,984

Total Phase1= 77,629,085/- = USD 862,545

Amount spent so far from Loreto Sisters and friends = 20,000,000 Ksh.= USD 222,222

Balance we seek for the completion of the centre= 57,629,085/- = USD 640,323

We need your help.

For more information on Termination of FGM Project and the Abundant Life Centre, please visit our website: www.stopfgm.or.ke.

Account Name: Loreto Institute

Bank Address : NIC Bank Limited

NIC House (Head Office)

P O Box 44599

00100 - NAIROBI

KENYA

Swift Code: NINCKENA

Bank Code: 41102 EURO 1001565-237 USD 1001563-773 GBP 1001563-811 KES 1001563-765 ______________________________________________________

Sr. Dr. Ephigenia W. Gachiri, IBVM........................................Date..

7

Director: Termination of Female Genital Mutilation (TFGM):

Project of Loreto Sisters, E. A. Province.

Abundant Life Centre Under Construction April 2015

8

Under-ground Tank in the quadrangle of Abundant Life Centre

Sister Ephigenia with some Maasai elders praying during a seminar

9

Teacher Agnes with Nasibo whom we saved from FGM and early marriage.

Nasibo is an A student finishing secondary school this year 2015.

10

Alternative Rite of Passage graduates with visitors from Ireland

Our first child born after we sent her mother for Fistula Surgery