Maasai Men Again FGM

Female genital mutilation is discrimination against women!  This is what WHO says about FGM-

FGM is recognized

internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. It reflects deep-rooted inequality between the sexes, and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women. It is nearly always carried out on minors and is a violation of the rights of children. The practice also violates a person’s rights to health, security and physical integrity, the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and the right to life when the procedure results in death.

It is my conviction that I shall be involved in the process of eliminating FGM and save our sisters from the scourge of the retrogressive and harmful vise.

We don’t need it anymore! Female genital mutilation is not, and has never been a determining factor of our identity as a people.

We are not Maasai because we cut our women, we aren’t Maasai because we sell off our children as wives to wealthy men. We refuse to be such an uncaring tribe.

Personally, I am convinced beyond all doubts that this is my struggle.

I know this because I have 5 sisters, 4 of them living with psycho-somatic damages inflicted upon them through FGM and early childhood marriages. The last one, I swore upon my life, that I ex-communicate myself from my family and entire continent, in case my father let her be CUT. Imagine how many girl-children over the whole continent who are victimized by such a barbaric outdated tradition. It is because of them that I take this cause.

I thank my parents(both of them ) for letting me adapt my little sister and protect her against FGM, while we use her as a pilot project in our isolated Maasai village in Laikipia.

The effects of FGM recurs in the lives of those affected. Both the physical and psychological scars takes time to heal. Four of my sisters are still wondering what they did to my father and to his culture why they were mishandled so badly.

My younger sister who was brighter than all of us still question us why she had to be dropped from school.

I can’t live with the guilt conscious, than to try and give back what was taken from her.

They have been wounded so badly, that you’d wonder how in the whole world they still rise up and live. Despite the damage, I have seen them fighting back like lionesses! The faith and braveness of those Maasai girls gives me no reason to cowardliness!

I am hopeful that FGM is soon history in our world. However, I cannot continue to live on hope alone. Not when we can cooperate and create a force against the evil cultural practice. We have a moral duty to defend those who are more vulnerable to inhuman treatment.

It is my duty to stand in the front-line as a human rights foot soldier for equal treatment of my sisters as well as my brothers. We must unite now for the coming generation to learn from us.

We must send a signal to them that FGM is the enemy number one of our people and nations. Our women must access equal respect and acknowledgment.

Imagine my sisters were such intelligent time keepers,(I never bothered keeping time till I was forced to learn it the bitter way;)) They loved their school. They were good athletes and they sang so brilliantly.

Apart from the 14 year old mother‘s last born(my adapted daughter), the rest never enjoyed the liberty of growing as children, with respect and opportunities to become anything other than house wives.

They were all taken out of school, cut and married off to men they never met before.

Before that, they would be used to take care of our goats so that the boys could study since we are considered to be more viable to be invested on than girls.

They sold them all like cheap items in a barter market. The trauma they went through, their cry for help, the loud scream, is deeply printed in my soul.

Does anyone here their cry?

Now is my sisters’ time! No questions no doubt. It is 2010 and our boat is sailing.. We are by all means, meant to be fully involved in eradicating FGM for good.

I will be gladly cooperative. You know they took my little mother(eldest sister) from me when i was just 7yrs and she was around 14 yrs.

Being from a family of 14 siblings (9 alive),my mother had more other little children to share her love with so i found my place in my eldest sister. It wasn’t long before they cut her and sold her to an elderly military officer who was already married with 2 children.

I shall never feel myself a liberated man until my sisters are all free! Equally respected and acknowledged! I can’t fight for my rights if I ignore those of my sisters. In whichever way, I shall be part and parcel of the movement against FGM. Aluta continua!

Maasai Men against FGM

Saidimu Ole Ngais.