Ending FGM in Namayiana village

Pastoralist Child Foundation announces Namayiana village in Kenya has ended female genital mutilation (fgm)

Namayiana Village elder and spokeswoman Malian Lechudukule, Chairwoman of the Namayiama Village Women’s Self Help Group, and Namayiana Village elders collectively made the decision following newly introduced PCF sponsored Anti-FGM workshops.

Sayydah Garrett, Founder and President of PCF said,

“This is a positive step toward eradicating FGM widely in Kenya. FGM has harmed countless girls for hundreds of years across Samburu County, over 2,000 years overall in Africa, causing unspeakable health issues to girls before and after pregnancy.”

“The decision to end FGM has to be done by the villages, and we have found success through mobilization and education. We are also hearing of the ‘ripple effect’ decrease in FGM practice among other villages nearby.”

In 2013, PCF began to host three annual educational and health focused anti-FGM workshops in the spring, summer and fall. Today, sixty (60) girls attend each four-day PCF Workshop during school holidays. Each Workshop costs $3,600 for materials, meals and staffing, the funds which today are primarily raised by private donors. PCF Workshops culminate in a future affirming, celebratory Alternative Rite of Passage for the girls who attend. Families, friends, elders, Samburu government dignitaries, teachers, and religious leaders also attend and lend their support during PCF Workshops.

The current population in Samburu County, Kenya is 224,000 and the FGM rate in Samburu County overall is 91%. The Namayiana Village population is 200, with a total number of 75 girls. Approximately 95% of girls ages 1218 in Namayiana Village had previously undergone FGM, and historically, 70% of girls ages 1216 have been married, resulting in a 93% girls dropout rate from primary school as a result of early marriage. These statistics are consistent across all villages in Samburu County, Kenya.

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