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Ban genital mutilation

Ban genital mutilation
Location: Addis Abeba, Ethiopia
Category: Health
Published: 23 October 2007
Progress:
100% funded
Donors resident in Germany receive a donation receipt for this project.
   
Rating:
42 Ratings
Officially prohibited but still practised hundredthousand of times: In Ethiopia genital mutilation of girls is still a cruel reality. Kindernothilfe fights against this traditional practice and intends spreading its successful project (project 60/60/AQ/51) over the whole country.
In Ethiopia the genital mutilation of girls has been practised for thousands of years. „The parents want to ensure their daughters future. A girl who has not gone through circumcision is considered as impure and infertile“, stated Habtamu Mammo, the local project manager of Kindernothilfe’s partner.
Since the year 2000 Kindernothilfe and its partner „Kale Heywet Church“ have been fighting against the genital mutilation of girls. „In ten districts of south-west Ethiopia circumcision is not practised anymore“, reportet project leader Mammo. More than 630 persons who before had carried out the mutilations gave up their work. „The circumcisers are key-figures. They need financial incentives to give up their profitable business. Our small-loan-programme will enable them to develop a new existence.“
Also the girls are crucial actors. More than 20.000 organized themselves in „Anti-Circumcision-Clubs“. Here they learn how to oppose to mutilation. In 2006 more than 500.000 people were reached.
Ejegayehu Abede has two daughters. She consciously decided against circumcision. Now she is convincing other mothers. On the whole 530 so-called „Change Agents“ are at work. Since 2005 they have been visiting 98.000 families and informed them about the risks and consequences of mutilation.
Kindernothilfe is planning to expand this project from 2008 on into eight further districts. Here 144.000 girls are in danger of circumcision.
Your donation will help to expand our successful project into eight further districts. Thereby you will contribute to prevent girls from their barbarous mutilation and – in the long run – to ban this brutal tradition at all.
(translated by betterplace)

Advocates (1)

Advocates are people who vouch for this project on the basis of personal experiences, specific expertise or direct relations.
  • A. CHAPPOT

    A. CHAPPOT

    I don't know this particular project, but I support any project that fight Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). I lived in Egypt for 9 years, where still over 90% of the women in the age of being able to get married have been excised. My own partner is excised and we experience the difficulty of having a full sexual life without pain and reaching a climax, at least occasionally. The way this project works, making the girls concerned themselves actors in the process seems promising. And not to forget the women who do this work and who couldn't live without this income. We have to help them to find another income. In Egypt FGM isn't allowed anymore. But I discussed with a doctor, who told me that if he doesn't do the operation himself, the parents will go to some 'midwife' who will do it under doubtful hygienic conditions. And the other side of the coin is that the doctor can ask for more money if the operation is prohibited. This leads to the conclusion that legal action alone isn't enough, a real change in thinking and perception has to be operated and this is a long and fastidious process. So let's start now and not abandon hope... for these girls and women.


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