Speaking out against the evil of FGM
Twelve-year-old Sylvia* was confused. She knew that her parents were planning something. At first, she did not know what it was – but she knew that it involved her. She tried to listen in to their whispered conversations, trying to discover what they were plotting.
Suddenly it dawned on her. She was to be forced to undergo “the cutting”.
Photo: UNESCO USA
The month of December is referred to as “cutting season” in Ntagacha. Although the “cutting season” is technically illegal in Tanzania, it is rampant - and evil.
Rooted in attempts to control women’s sexuality, the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) often results in adverse health effects – infections, ongoing pain, difficulty having children, and complications in childbirth. It can be fatal. And the benefits? There are none.
Faced with the truth, Sylvia was terrified. She pleaded with her parents to rethink, but they refused to listen. With the time for “the cutting” fast approaching, Sylvia managed to escape from her home through an open window and fled to City of Hope for protection. She has never been home since. It is simply too unsafe for her to do so.
The barbaric practice of FGM is prevalent in the communities around City of Hope. Incredibly, some men won’t marry a woman unless she has undergone FGM – and as a result, girls are often tricked into this against their will. Our founder, Dr. John Chacha, had the vision to see this ended when the City of Hope first started. This remains our vision today – and we won’t give up until this has finally been accomplished.
So, what are we doing about it?
Firstly, we provide rescue and safety to girls like Sylvia at City of Hope. This can be temporary protection or long-term care, depending on the severity of the situation. Our doors are opened immediately to girls that need our help – especially during the month of December, a time when we need extra security around the City of Hope campus. We are focused on counseling these girls, listening to them, and showing them love so that they can heal from the trauma they have experienced. In particular, we share with these girls that they are precious, created in God’s image, and about the deep love that He has for them as their Father.
Secondly, we speak out, loud and clear, against this practice in our schools, our medical clinic, our mentoring programs, and within the community. We visit other local schools to share the facts about FGM among the girls there. We collaborate with local churches and other nonprofit organizations, and we work closely with local government departments to provide training and support. Our girls also participate in community events that speak out against FGM.
Thirdly, we cast a new vision for vulnerable girls and young women. We do everything we can to keep girls studying in school. We are thankful that we have a 100 percent success rate in transitioning girls from our primary school to secondary school! Vocational training programs can help provide them with practical skills and an income, and we encourage young women to develop personal leadership abilities that empower them to take a stand against the cruel practices that exist in their society.
Standing up against systemic injustice is not easy – yet this is what the Bible calls us to do. Progress can seem slow at times, yet we won’t be silent until FGM has become history. And we believe that change is coming! Recently our staff was approached by some of the elders from the local community. They told us that, as a result of our work, they are now firmly against the practice of FGM. We praise God for small but significant victories like this!
In the meantime, we are asking you to help, not just in our fight against FGM, but as we take a stand against child marriage, sexual abuse, and other forms of gender-based violence too.
We will continue to offer a safe, secure environment for girls like Sylvia who need our protection. We also recognize that, as these girls are rescued, they come to us having experienced deep suffering. We are therefore aware of the growing need to provide trauma-informed care to them. This will require us to hire a trained Christian psychologist to work with these girls and help them heal from their emotional wounds. It also requires specialized training for all of our staff so that they can better understand how to develop strategies to help each individual child.
In addition, providing these precious young women with the education and skills that they will need to find a job and generate an income is critical. Wherever possible, we want to support girls with their studies through secondary school, and beyond. For those that require more vocational-type skills, our empowerment programs currently offer them training to become seamstresses. In 2020, we expanded this important aspect of our work into Kenya, and we plan to grow the range of training options available on both sides of the border during the coming year.
All children – girls and boys – need to be aware of how to protect themselves in communities where child abuse – physical, sexual, and emotional - is a major problem. Developing training programs and other interventions that help safeguard the children in our communities is another key objective for 2021.
The task of expanding our work in these areas of child rescue and protection, trauma-informed care, education and training, and leadership development will cost $74,300 in 2021. As this year draws to a close, would you consider making the most generous gift you can, knowing that it will help enable City of Hope to make significant changes in the lives of vulnerable girls and women – and in the wider community too?
Here's what your gift can accomplish:
$36 will provide a girl with her first four counseling sessions - a vital step on the road to healing
$105 will help us rescue a girl and provide her with safety for her first month at City of Hope
$180 will purchase a sewing machine for a vulnerable woman and empower her to develop the skills she needs to make an income
What happened to Sylvia, the little girl who escaped from the horror of FGM in the nick of time? Six years on, Sylvia is thriving – doing extremely well in school, an accomplished singer and dancer, and demonstrating excellent leadership skills. At City of Hope, we want to rescue many more girls just like her. Will you partner with us to ensure that we can do so?
May God bless and preserve you and your family through these uncertain times. Without your partnership, we would never have had the resources to do all that has been accomplished so far. Thank you for your continued generous support and prayers for City of Hope!
*Name changed for privacy reasons