At least 80 girls in Bogusero ward Kitutu central Subcounty in Kisii County aged between five and 13 years were feted in a ceremony geared towards educating the community to shun away from Female Genital Mutilation which is part of Gender-Based Violence.
The girls gathered at Nyamatuta Primary School in Bigege Sublocation Kitutu Central Subcounty for the event even as the 16 days of activism against GBV almost came to a close.
The event was also attended by the parents of the minors, an anti-FGM Fulda Mosocho Project manager Maranga Makori who convened the event, and officials from a Germany-based Non-Governmental Organisation dubbed ‘Partners of Change’.
Addressing the press over the weekend, Simon Okeyo acting chief Bogusero location applauded the move saying it was advancing knowledge to the community to shun the retrogressive practice.
He said the periodical event had contributed to the reduction of FGM by the of rate 20 per cent.
Okeyo said the Fulda project had helped to ease work for the law enforcers since many people stopped the practice willingly without coercion from the government thus a positive move.
Assistant Chief Bogusero South Sublocation Jonathan Monyando urged the community to desist from subjecting their children to FGM saying it was illegal and would not be tolerated by law enforcers.
He appealed to the parents to be ambassadors of anti-FGM and urged residents to volunteer information on those still practising the vice to the law enforcers for necessary legal action.
Fulda Manager Maranga said the project activities which have been in existence for 20 years in Mosocho had expanded to Marani and Kisii South Subcounties in the endeavour to protect girls from the cut by incorporating the community in the fight against the vice.
Maranga said the project applied a value-centered approach from their German partners where parents underwent over six months of training to enable them to have attitude change and willingness to reject the practice.
Maranga claimed that at least 100,000 girls in the area had been protected since the project started.
One parent Tabitha Kerubo applauded the training saying many parents had learnt the side effects of FGM and will henceforth be championing against the practice.
A Board Member from Partners of Change organisation, Silk Sewing called for a concerted effort to end FGM globally.
She said small actions from many people and institutions would complement government efforts to end the outdated practice.
