I’m always afraid of triggering anybody.
In fact it’s probably a personal flaw as it prevented me from sharing my own story for many, many years.
Sometimes it is important to talk about hard things:
things that are sad or unfortunate, not right or unfair.
Otherwise, how will they change?
All things in balance of course, but it’s been really important for me to talk about something that really triggers me a lot–
and I hope not to trigger you too much, but it is possible I might.
This is it:
In Sierra Leone over 80% of women have gone through FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) already.
And more little girls will follow.
Like I said earlier this week:
The past isn’t something I can change.
But going forward, I can try to make the life of one girl better.
This email is about HOW we can do this.
So please keep reading.
The Problem:
If you don’t know the details about FGM, it’s intense no matter how it is done. It’s unmedicated alteration of a woman’s anatomy that frankly I don’t think should be altered.
Women don’t heal up permanently so it causes pain through a woman’s life.
Childbirth, sex…more pain, less pleasure for a lifetime.
It’s not ok to me.
I honestly never want FGM to happen again ever to anyone, but if someone was an educated adult making a free will choice, I’d let it go.
The problem is the girls are usually age 8-16.
They don’t have a choice.
They might not know it will cause life long problems.
They are too young, too dependent to say no.
The stakes of saying no are usually high–abandonment, starvation, exposure, or other dangers like predatory men.
So I’m triggered.
But I’m doing something about it, speaking about it.
And so is Her Future Foundation.
And we could use your help.
The Opportunity:
People have different stories in Sierra Leone about why they must force girls into FGM–
some are very confused or incorrect.
One myth is that FGM is required by Islam.
Most of Sierra Leone’s people Muslim, 78% of the population.
We don’t want this myth or any other myth about FGM to continue.
In local politics, people are using FGM as a way to gain favor.
They offer to pay poor families the fees for getting FGM for their daughters.
That would increase numbers, so it is an important time to set the record straight.
The Solution:
Her Future Foundation wants to host a large event with influential leaders like Imams and Islamic scholars.
We want to reach the people of influence in Sierra Leone.
This event is themed on traditional Ramadan festival celebrations, just around the corner.
With traditional song, art, drama–but themed around FGM– we can use the combination of intelligence and creativity, to teach them the truth about FGM and eliminate the myths.
The goal is that after this event, those powerful stakeholders will go back to grassroots communities to educate them, too.
They can influence others in a way that an outsider may not.
These people can help older generations let go of forcing FGM on young girls.
The Team:
It’s always important to me to respect the local country in another place when trying to help.
Everyone involved in this organization besides me is from Sierra Leone.
We are working with adult African activists in the area of FGM.
We also have activists who as young girls have been educated or supported by the organization’s programs.
Ariefa, the organization founder, has worked for 9 years against FGM. Just last week he spent hours negotiating to pull a girl out of an FGM ceremony and put her back in school.
The Challenge:
Her Future Foundation currently operates without funding.
Their team is ready to put on this event on May 18th and has begun organizing but there is one thing they need:
the funds to put it on.
We hope to raise enough in the next few weeks to help put this event on and make a huge impression in Sierra Leone.
But we need donations.
Donations coming in as soon as possible (even small ones) will help us feel confident that we can make this important event happen.
Please help us spread the word about this cause.
Donate if you are able, even if it is a small amount.
Read more or Donate here
It is a secure site.
To me, taking a stand for this cause is powerful and healing.
It DOES matter.
GIRLS matter.
Just like you mattered when you were a child, even if things did not always feel that way.
Let’s show that girls matter by supporting this cause:
If it helps even one girl, what a difference it will make.
