Nyamira Girls graduate after successfully finishing an alternative rite of passage training

Nyamira,

Thursday, November 16, 2023

KNA by Deborah Bochere

One hundred girls from Manga Sub County in Nyamira have graduated after completing an alternative rite of passage program to be ambassadors of anti-female Genital Mutilation (FGM) courtesy of the Manga Heart organization.

Manga Division Assistant County Commissioner, Caleb Kangogo while presiding over the graduation ceremony lauded concerted efforts and collaboration by stakeholders in fighting Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the larger Gusii region, an unacceptable cultural practice that robs young innocent girls of their dignity and endangers their health and life.

"Initiation of alternative rites of passage is timely since our young girls are taken through a comprehensive sensitization program to understand their body changes as they grow to fully developed women over time, the importance of shunning unacceptable cultural practices like FGM and child marriages, the importance of upholding proper and acceptable morals in society, where they are advised to put most of their efforts in education and career progression for it will open various work opportunities globally.” ACC Caleb stated.

He warned of severe punishment issued by the court to anyone who is caught carrying out the act of FGM on innocent girls because most of the perpetrators do it arrogantly claiming that they are meeting the cultural obligations.

“During this long festive season, most parents take their children to visit their grandmothers and then secretly make arrangements where they look for paid medics to undertake the cut on these young children, be warned that it is criminal and if any report is made by our village elders or any administrators, you will face the full force of the law, so just let our girls be and enjoy their childhood” he warned.

The County Director for gender, Rachel Okong’o observed that cases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) are equally on the rise in Nyamira and these severely affect our innocent children who are assaulted, defiled, sodomized, causing them a lot of psychological stress and trauma depriving them of an enjoyable childhood life.

She advised parents to ensure they avoid any form of abuse at home because these scenes in the home are ugly, and traumatizing and have lasting effects on children exposed to such.

The Director for Manga Heart, a nongovernmental organization funded by the International Solidarity Foundation (ISF), Benard Oseko said that this empowerment program of educating both parents and young girls on the effects of FGM has molded ambassadors within Manga division who are courageous and ready to take the message out to their homes, villages and entire community to bring this archaic cultural practice to an end.

“I’m very grateful for the cordial collaboration we have had with ISF, the parents of the empowered girls, and their teachers because this program used to be conducted during the brief school holidays throughout the year until they have successfully graduated. We appeal that when we shall be conducting these programs again parents should be willing to enroll their girls because it is free of charge so long as they are within the selected area and can regularly attend the empowerment sessions,” Director Oseko commented.

Concerted efforts by various government departments and non-governmental organizations have organized regular sensitization programs to fight against FGM a criminal cultural practice by some communities in Kenya the Abagusii community is one of those communities practicing it alleging it a rite of passage for girls from childhood to adulthood.

Courtesy; KNA