The wonder women of Africa

Amarch Maniso had her clitoris and labia removed with a razor. Two days later, elders ran chicken feathers over the wound (a traditional practice). When the feathers caught slightly, they recalled the circumciser to redo the cuts.

As a result of infection, Amarch's body began to swell; she could barely urinate. She lost three children in childbirth, although her fourth daughter, born by caesarean section, survived. "Because of what happened to me, I am now able to tell communities the dangers of the practice," she says. "I have worked for KMG since it was first started as an advocate, and people listen to my story. Many have had similar experiences and can therefore relate to what I am saying."

he power of education and encouragement
In the 10 years since Boge laid the cornerstone of the KMG centre in Kembatta, the percentage of girls in the region subjected to genital mutilation has fallen from nearly 100 per cent to as low as three per cent. As a direct result of her educational work, marriage by abduction has also almost disappeared, and HIV-AIDS and domestic violence are no longer the taboo subjects they used to be. And at a ground-breaking event Boge organized in 2004, nearly 100,000 people turned out to celebrate "Whole body health life — Freedom from FGM" and the more than 35,000 girls who have publicly refused to be cut.

"This moment," says Boge, "was the community's affirmation that they no longer wanted to harm their children."

Support for local awareness from an international organization
In 2006, CIDA paid for a KMG training week and funded publicity for a major awareness-raising celebration. Boge is hopeful that CIDA's support will continue, especially as KMG expands. Forestry projects, rural health care, adult literacy and training sessions to provide former circumcisers with new employable skills are all part of KMG's work.

On a roadside in Kembatta, men and women tend to hundreds of small trees in a soil erosion prevention project. Elsewhere, community discussions are held on everything from FGM to better farming techniques.

A health centre also provides post- and prenatal care for women who have trouble giving birth after FGM, and carries out reconstructive surgery. "Many women have been thrown out by their husbands because they have been unable to penetrate them," says Boge. "This simple operation means women are being accepted back by their husbands and can now lead a normal life."

Like KMG's activities, Boge's dreams are expanding. "I have come to realize that this movement will not end until all violence against women is both acknowledged and stopped," she says. "Women are the threads that hold both families and communities together."

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