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“As I’ve been told, four women hold the girl down with
her legs spread, while the nachane scrapes off her woman
parts... with a razor or knife. Then she applies some
herbs or something to stop the bleeding, and binds the
girl’s legs together from hips to knees for forty days
to give the wound time to heal.”
Fauziya
Kassindja, Do They Hear You When
You Cry? |
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It’s difficult to believe that
6,000 girls, babies and women are mutilated each and
every day. Yet, this violent crime continues while the
world is silent to their screams.
Female genital mutilation (FGM)
is practiced in 28 sub-Saharan African countries, the
Middle East and in immigrant communities throughout the
world. Approximately 135 million women and girls have
been circumcised. The practice can lead to never ending
suffering, chronic urinary infections, infertility,
childbirth complications, maternal mortality, the
transmission of HIV/AIDS, decrease in sexual pleasure,
and death. The Lancet [WHO FGM study,
2006] recently reported that an estimated one to two
deaths per 100 births is the result of FGM.
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KAMILIKA is dedicated to
eradicating female genital mutilation and raising global
awareness about gender based violence. It is
contributing to the global campaign to stop female genital mutilation (FGM) by
working directly with practitioners of FGM and members
of their communities. Kamilika’s holistic
approach is similar to successful programs conducted in
areas of Uganda and Senegal where FGM has stopped. It
believes that every woman has the right to life without
violence and that FGM is a violation of the human rights
of women and girls.
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Our programs
focus on:
- Educating women, girls and
their communities to the severe health risks of
female cutting;
- Providing alternate income
sources for practitioners who have stopped
circumcising;
- Encouraging alternate safe
rites of passage; and
- Empowering women to make
healthy decisions for themselves and their families
and to become actively involved in their
communities.
How it works
The initial contact with a
community is made through a local female trainer who identifies women circumcisers receptive to
stopping the practice of cutting. At the same time,
ward leaders, elders and other community leaders
participate in a half day workshop to sensitize the
community to the serious health risks associated with FGM and to alternative safe ceremonies.
The women circumcisers who agree to
stop cutting are enrolled in a four day
workshop. The first two days the women receive
education in the dangerous health risks
caused by FGM, beginning with basic anatomy and
physiology and followed by instruction on microbial
infection and nutrition.
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Two Maasai girls who have been recently cut. They wear
the beads and clothes until they heal. |
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Upon completion of the workshop,
the women are invited to participate in a two day job
training to help them establish economic stability by
generating a living wage. This takes the form of a
jewelry making business with international scope. To be
initiated into the jewelry making business each woman
must sign a statement agreeing to stop cutting. During
the job training workshop, they receive instruction to
bead bracelets designed to promote awareness of the
global campaign to stop FGM. Each bracelet carries the
woman’s own bead signature and will be sold with her
photo and biographical sketch. |
Retired circumcisors in front of some of the food
Kamilika bought for them. |
How you can help
Purchase bracelets
By purchasing bracelets you are
directly contributing to the livelihood of former practitioners of FGM who have taken a stand
against FGM by refusing to circumcise. Profits from the
purchase of bracelets also support a medical fund for
the women and their families, a local community
development fund, community and circumciser workshops
and bracelet production costs. Wearing a Kamilika
bracelet helps others become aware of the urgent need to
protect women and girls from the dangers of FGM. Join
the campaign to stop FGM. Wear a Kamilika
bracelet.
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Make a donation
Monetary and non-monetary donations
are gratefully appreciated. Donations help to ensure
that we can continue to provide health education and job
training for the women who have agreed to stop
circumcising. These women have the strongest
voices in the campaign to stop FGM. They are
spreading the word from one village to another and are
making the whole world a better place for their
daughters and all girls.
Tell a friend
The more support that Kamilika
and former circumcisers receive, the greater chance
there is to protect the rights of women and girls
worldwide. Please tell your friends, family and
colleagues about our website, programs and bracelets.
JOIN US
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