FULL STOP TO THE HORRIFIC FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION
FGM is defined as an operation that involves the cutting or removal of parts or all parts of the external female genitals for non-medical reasons, commonly referred to as female circumcision in communities where FGM takes place. "It is estimated that more than 130 million girls and women around the world have undergone genital mutilation.
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THE ANTI-FGM RUN GRACED BY THE U.S AMBASSADOR, Michael E. Ranneberger
"We express our solidarity with Cherish Others Organisation and all the friends who have come to echo the objective of the run to put a complete stop to FGM in TransMara. I congratulate the graduates and wish them well as they continue to pursue their dreams in education. I congratulate Director for her tireless efforts to stand against the negative cultural practices," Anne C. Hoff, MS Director, MS Kenya
In his speech, Honorable Gideon Konchellah said, "The girl child in Maasai has always been left to grow up, go through FGM and get married. This has led to poor development in the region." He commended Ruth's mission of exposing to the rest of the world that girls in Trans Mara also needed an education." He supported that a rescue centre be built for the orphans where by they could study just like their male counterparts and reach to university level of education.
"The rest of the world should support the Maasai girl child," he implored. Cherish Others Organisation remains grateful for the financial, material and moral support that was provided by the US Embassy, which made the RUN a success. The organisation appreciates the participation of all the women, elders, youth and the community in general who sacrificed their time to be present at the function in order to support the girl child in TransMara. "
The activity of identifying and supporting the girls with education has been necessitated by the fact that girls as young as 6 years are subjected to female genital cutting, as a rite of passage, then denied the opportunity to go on with schooling. They are married at a very early age, making them even more vulnerable. Their parents give reasons attributed to poverty and lack of funds to pay school fees for their daughters besides the main reason of meeting custom traditions.
