Train 120 Health & Human Rights promoters in Kenya

 ‘My name is Gladys Nyasuguta Nyariki from Borabu Sub County and this is my story, as an FGM survivor. For the longest time I had been quiet about the impact of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) on women including myself. I suffered a great deal in silence.

I went through this harmful practice at age 9. I later got married but had many difficulties giving birth. The doctors told me during the birth process of my first born that, my birth canal was not dilating as expected and that this was due to effects of the FGM I had undergone. My muscles were scarred and unable to naturally expand during birthing process. This forced the doctors to do a major episiotomy that could not heal for a very long time.

Back at home my own husband did not understand so we had a major problem in our intimate life. I had to deal with it myself since my husband did not understand me. The level of trauma and frustration was unbearable. The social stigma that came from community members because of my situation cannot be put to words. I was devastated.

However, asked the doctors to speak with my husband and explain that what was happening was not my fault but a situation arising from the FGM practice that I had undergone at my childhood. There was deep counseling from the doctors who explained to him the depth of the trauma, the physical and mental issues I was undergoing and what he needed to do to be supportive. Fortunately, he understood the situation and from then on was supportive. He even supported my schooling at Nairobi University to study FGM in relation to women’s health and community development.

After school, I was lucky to receive advocacy skills and training using Popular Education Model from Hope Foundation for African Women (www.hopefaw.org) and other community programs. The most recent one was Social Change Communication (SCC) skills to end FGM gained from a recent The Girl Generation (TGG), (www.thegirlgeneration.org) training.

I have also had big moments as I advocate for FGM eradication. Apart from being an Anti-FGM ambassador in my home ground schools, churches and market forums, this year alone I was invited to share my story at Kenya Women Parliamentarians (KEWOPA) regional conference in Nairobi with PLAN International. Recently, I was invited to share with council of elders at West Pokot on how to end FGM. I facilitated a declaration for them to identify the FGM as a major issue as well as create avenues for dialogue on the way forward to help the community abandon FGM. This gives me hope that a child will be saved from this practice and that FGM may end in one generation. Furthermore, now equipped with SCC skills of ‘Do No Harm’ as they have proved to be most effective, I feel more confident to continue advocating against the practice of FGM and that FGM can end in one generation.’

NB: Dear partners, Gladys’ story is just but one out of themore than 50 positive stories of change we have in our work, however, this could not have been possible without your support. Thank you!