What is FGM?

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a harmful traditional practice that involves the partial or total removal of the female genitalia-it’s called “cut”. In Migori County-Kenya, countless girls undergone female genital mutilation every year. FGM ranges from the partial or total removal of the clitoris (clitoridectomy), to the removal of the entire clitoris and the cutting of the labia minora (excision), to its most extreme form, the removal of all external genitalia.

Here they say a woman must be ‘cut’ in order to be pure, and therefore fit to marry. If the girl is not “cut’ then, no matter how old she may be, she remains a child. The practice is illegal and that is why it does not take place in a hospital, but secret places in the village. One of traditional mothers sharpens a knife and does the job on a girl along with others in a celebrated event usually carried out in December each year when they are out of school.

FGM is generally done without anaesthetic, and can have lifelong health consequences including chronic infection, severe pain during urination, menstruation, sexual intercourse, and childbirth, and psychological trauma. Obviously this is incredibly dangerous and could end up with an infection and possibly death. No one knows how many girls die from FGM. Light School Uriri through its strategic partnership with likeminded grassroots organizations are running a campaign to stop this vice and the plan is working, we have saved 50 girls from being cut or from dying.

How do we do it? We have negotiate and enter into agreements with the girls’ parents. Here Light School Uriri sponsor’s education of these vulnerable girls by paying school fees while providing food and clothing once the parents promise not to cut them. We then take these girls for regular checks with a doctor to make sure everything is intact. The fact is that what we are doing is working. We run this solely through donations and sponsorship from people like you, YOU!-the one reading this. Together we are protecting these girls from horrible experiences and existence and on top of this wonderful gift we are ensuring they get education, food and clothing.

We believe that FGM is a violation of the human rights of girls and women. It constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women as it violates girls and women's rights to health, security, integrity, the right to be free from torture and cruel, the right to life as the practice more often than not results in death. Why is Female Genital Mutilation still happening in Migori County? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0Dqg_513A4.

If the practice is allowed to continue, many young girls’ lives will be at high risk. Help us SAVE at least one girl-one girl means break the circle and save a generation. ||End Female Genital Mutilation||: Join Light School, Uriri's campaign. www.lightschooluriri.org

WITH YOUR HELP, WE CAN STOP FGM. FULL STOP.

Thank you for your support!

Jackson Bambo (Founder/Director of Light School Uriri)

Naomi Lewis (Working in Parntership with Light School Uriri)