Female Genital Mutilation: January 2025 Impact Report
Rescuing Young Girls and Women
HopeCo’s Vision: Transformed Lives, Flourishing Communities
HopeCo exists to rescue children in East Africa from abuse, hunger, and exploitation. We are dedicated to helping them reach their full potential and become leaders and changemakers in their own nations. And we are passionate about seeing individuals, families, and whole communities transformed forever by the power of Jesus Christ!
HOPECO’S ONGOING FIGHT AGAINST FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION
Even though FGM has been illegal in Tanzania since 1998, it is still practiced. The U.N. General Assembly has declared February 6 as the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation to raise awareness about this humanitarian crisis. According to the Demographic Health Survey (DHS), the estimated prevalence of FGM in girls and women (15-49 years) is 14.6% (2010). Even though this percentage may seem relatively small, it comprises a majority of girls and young women in the community surrounding City of Hope.
When establishing City of Hope, the vision of our co-founders, John and Regina Chacha, was to see this horrific practice eliminated. Areas in both Tanzania and Kenya, where HopeCo works, still practice Female Genital Mutilation.
Students from City of Hope now have an impact on their families, encouraging and helping prevent their siblings from going through FGM. Families that reject FGM for their children, risk persecution and rejection from friends and relatives.
Female Genital Mutilation comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. The results of undergoing FGM are devastating and impact a girl’s body for life. Some even die while undergoing FGM, or suffer from severe bleeding, problems urinating, cysts, infections, as well as complications in childbirth, increased risk of newborn deaths, and PTSD.
FGM has no health benefits. In the community around City of Hope, it is carried out as a ritual transition into adulthood, when a girl is between ages 12 and 15. Girls are celebrated and given gifts. They are told they cannot marry until they go through FGM.
HopeCo continues to actively take a stand against FGM. December 16-22 was the “peak season” last year for FGM in Kenya and Tanzania, especially in the area where the City of Hope is located. To combat this practice – and provide a refuge to young girls choosing to escape FGM – we opened our doors at City of Hope and more than 100 girls found a safe haven!
During this week, the girls were protected, loved, cared for, and taught what the Word of God says about their identity in Christ so they can defend themselves from being manipulated by these types of cultural practices. God’s Word equipped the young girls with the coping skills needed when others mock them for not participating in FGM. Through open-air meetings every evening that week at Ntagacha Market, we rejoiced to see girls giving their lives to Jesus!
“We praise God for all the girls that came to the City of Hope for safety…we can’t stop praying for an end to FGM!”
Regina Chacha, HopeCo Co-Founder
Resources: World Health Organization-who.org; UNICEF-unicef.org. For more information visit Female Genital Mutilation or Cutting (FGM/C) | USCIS