Woman turns narrow escape from FGM into mission to rescue girls

When she narrowly escaped Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) many years back as a teenager in Meru County, Pauline Ntombura's passion for the fight against the outdated cultural practice started.

She founded the Jerri Savuto Charitable Foundation, which works tirelessly across Kenya’s pastoral communities to champion the rights of girls facing oppression at the hands of their own families and traditions.

“My sister came to my rescue—she was already a victim herself but believed in me as a bright young girl. She shielded me from the cut. That moment changed my life. From then on, I saw the world differently, and today I stand to fight for the rights of every girl,” Ntombura recalls.

At the Jerri Savuto rescue centres in Marakwet East and Dira in Baringo County, for instance, more than 72 girls have been saved from undergoing FGM.

They are now pursuing their education and chasing dreams they might otherwise never have been allowed to imagine.

Through a partnership with the Methodist Church, under the United Women in Faith, in both Kenya and the United States, the foundation supports girls’ education, spiritual growth, and overall well-being.

Ntombura emphasises that FGM will only end if boys and men are actively involved in the fight.

 "Most men in these communities refuse to marry women who haven’t been cut. But if men take the lead in rejecting this practice, the numbers will drop significantly.”

A disturbing incident she encountered in 2019 brought this issue into sharp focus when Ntombura and a group of Methodist Church women on a mission in Dira, Baringo County, encountered a man who had taken two girls, aged just 8 and 12, as wives.

That horrifying incident marked the beginning of a rescue mission that led to the establishment of rescue centres in Dira and the Kerio Valley, Marakwet East.

A tour of Kerio Valley reveals a peaceful beauty—one adorned by the sweet scent of flowering mango trees and waters cascading from the highlands into the great River Kerio.

It is a scene of serenity and abundance, a sign of stability and food security.

Yet behind this curtain of beauty lies a harrowing reality that stifles the growth and freedom of young girls.

In many pastoral communities here, girls are not just seen as children; they are viewed as a source of future wealth.

The Standard established that as soon as they reach adolescence, elderly men begin arranging marriages for them, sometimes when the girls are the same age as the men’s daughters or granddaughters.

Shortly after emerging from seclusion, a period of two to three months following FGM, young girls are paraded in a celebration that draws the entire community.

Men who have already paid dowry, often in the form of livestock, are officially handed their 'new wives'. Many of these girls become the third, fourth, or even eighth wives of older men.

"It’s a heartbreaking reality that would be unthinkable in many other communities. But among pastoralists, it’s a deeply entrenched tradition, passed down through generations," explained Ntombura.

Statistics show a grim picture, with West Pokot County leading with an FGM prevalence rate of 91 per cent, followed by Baringo at 89 per cent, while Elgeyo Marakwet has a prevalence of 73 per cent.

According to Ntombura, poverty is not the sole driver of FGM—culture plays a significant role, especially among pastoralist communities.

Rev Sue Owen, a board director at Jerri Savuto, adds that girls in developing countries are suffering, noting that this harmful practice must end.

"The government and community leaders must rise to defend the rights of every child. Many women are paying the price during childbirth and face long-term health complications due to infections caused by FGM," said Rev Owen.

Ntombura believes that FGM can be eradicated by 2030 if the government, community leaders, and stakeholders unite.

A recent survey by Women Rights Institute for Peace (WRIP), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) based in the North Rift, found that more than 300 girls underwent FGM in the North Rift region during the last December holidays, with Tiaty leading with more than 100 girls facing the knife.

A worrying trend is also emerging in the area where cases of married women being forced to undergo the practice against their wishes are on the rise.

There have been reported cases in some parts of Elgeyo Marakwet County where married women are threatened with divorce by their husbands if they don’t accede to the demands of the elderly relatives in the community to undergo the rite.

It also emerged that in some areas like Tiaty, the community has changed the circumcision period from December to August to avoid the public, government and media focus that comes at the end of the year.

The situation has been aggravated by some government officials, including chiefs, their assistants, and others, who are ignorant of the existing legal instruments for addressing the matter.