Garissa
Activist in Garissa want FGM to be part of school curriculum
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SIMAHO program coordinator Zahara Hashi addressing the press during sensitization campaign on FGM in Balambala sub county.
Activists who are fighting Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) are now calling on the Ministry of Education to think of including and making FGM part of the programmes in both primary and secondary syllabuses in the new curriculum so as to create awareness
Sister Maternity Home program coordinator Zahara Hashi who visited Balambala subcounty where there are seven traditional birth attenders who also double as circumcisers, said high levels of illiteracy which stands at 79% and ignorance in the area has been identified as a major stumbling block in the fight against FGM.
“We need to sensitize and educate our young girls on in this matter ”she said
According to 2008 statistics it is estimated that the Somali community has FGM prevalence of 98% followed by the Kisii (96%) Maasai (78%) Embu (58%) Kalenjin (40%) Meru (40%)Taita (32%) Kamba (23%) and Kikuyu (21%) but this figures under dispute by the FGM fighting groups arguing that restless awareness have been done and therefore the figures should be down.
The meeting that was attended by the local chiefs and security officers. A declaration was made that anyone who reports or arrests perpetrators and rescues a girl will be rewarded heavily.
“We appeal to entire community to come forward and fight FGM and anyone with such report shall be rewarded.”
The campaign which will last for another 30 days aims at saving girls mostly brought from Diaspora, urban centers and local villages who are meant to undergo this rite during this long December holidays.
It is regarded as a lucrative business ventures for the circumcisers since a parent has to part with amount between Kshs.1000 to 2000 for the exercise.
Religious leaders have since distantance this practice from the religion saying it is not written anywhere in the Holy Quran or even practiced in countries where Islam originated.
