I returned from Pokot just before last Xmas following our 3rd.hugely successful “Alternative Rite of Passage” (ARP) ceremony.
Over 200 girls participated in a week long camp of seminars, workshops and education on the ill effects of female genital mutilation (FGM) and the importance of remaining at school.
This brings the total no. of girls to have participated in our programme of ARP ceremonies to over 600!
Follow up with the self-help group/C.B.O., Kepsteno Rotwo (abandon the knife), last June, revealed that of these only 6 girls were subsequently subjected to FGM. I should add that was follow up from 2010 and 2011. We are confident of similar success from last years’ girls.
Our programme is going from strength to strength with research and training of tribal midwives/circumcisers ongoing.
Wtach this space for pictures and video clips from last December’s ARP ceremony………
Thank you so much to all new members and supporters. I am a firm believer in team work. We could never have achieved what we have, saving over 600 girls from FGM, without each other!
Thanks to all the new offers of help, desperately needed!
Latest news from UK side, a meeting was held between myself, student midwife Ruth Davies and Lancaster M.P. Eric Ollerenshaw who is on the anti FGM all party committee yesterday.
Eric is going to arrange for us to meet Lynne Featherstone, UK international development secretary who is spear-heading efforts to abandon FGM.
We hope for funding to sustain our programme and to intensify throughout Pokot and beyond.
Thanks everyone, Cath
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