Groups devise new ways to end female cut

By JECKONIA OTIENO

Kajiado, KENYA: Every school holiday, children from Naretoi in Ngatu, Kajiado County, congregate at the home of Lanoi Parmuat, who is an activist against female circumcision for a life skills training.

This initiative is a partnership between the local Maa community and religious organisations and is part of efforts to fight female genital mutilation in the area.

This April is no different as over 90 girls and boys have assembled at the home for the training. Parmuat says they came up with the programme as one way of ensuring that both girls and boys acquire the necessary skills to make them the voices of change in the community.

“We chose the school holidays because this is time when female circumcision is rampant and girls are usually married off after undergoing the cut. So when they are here they are taught to counter negative cultural practices,” says Parmuat.

Personal growth

The participants are usually addressed by church leaders, elders and chiefs during their week-long stay at the home.

“With the patriarchal nature of the Maa, the teenagers are bound to listen to advice from the elders,” says Parmuat.

According to Parmuat, the training focuses on spiritual and personal growth of the partcipants and also on cultural matters.  

According to Jeremiah ole Korpito, the chairman of Naretoi Community, the training is also aimed at promoting discussions between the children and the leaders.

“We teach them how they can live together as boys and girls even as we discuss serious issues like female genital mutilation openly. I can confirm to you that we have seen a lot of change ever since this programme started,” Korpito says.

He says most girls assume they are ready for marriage after undergoing the cut, and the coaching has helped reduce cases of teenage pregnancies and early marriages.

“After the cut, girls are not supposed to discuss sexual matters with their parents, which leads to most of them getting married or becoming pregnant,” says Korpito, adding that teenager pregnancies are partly to blame for the rising maternal and child mortality rates.

Pastor Simon Nkinor, the associate pastor at Naretoi Free Pentecostal Fellowship of Kenya (FPFK), says church leaders have a responsibility to campaign against retrogressive cultural practices such as FGM.

Not enthusiastic

He also reveals that not all parents are enthusiastic about the initiative.

“We know that there are some parents who prevent their children from coming here because they find it hard to accept that times are changing and that some of these practices have to stop,” Pastor Nkinor says.

Pastor Daniel Maisol says their campaign against backward practices such as female circumcision and early marriages has on numerous occasions faced opposition from members of the community who are not ready to change with the times. 

Parmuat says the widespread poverty in the area has also been a stumbling block in the fight against FGM. Anthony Piliwa, a youth leader from Piliwa FPFK Church, says there is a sustained need to teach girls about their rights because even when they are violated, they rarely speak out.

He sees these trainings as very necessary in the development of the community since girls have become more aware of their rights.

The weeklong event culminates into a cultural celebration before the girls and boys head back to their homes.