Many organizations have tried to end Female Genital Mutilation among the Samburu Tribe of Kenya using education, condemnation, and even threats, but, according to a 2023 article siting a Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, 86% of Samburu girls are still cut even though the girls almost unanimously hate the practice. In the Samburu culture, it is not the girls who make decisions about their bodies; it is the village elders.
Our partner in Kenya, Josphine, has taken a different approach from other organizations. Rather than fight traditional culture and the elders who hold it dear, she quietly explains the health risks and financial repercussions of the practice without condemning it. In everything she does, she values and helps preserve the Samburu culture and treats elders with respect, honoring their decision-making authority. This respectful approach is breaking down long-standing barriers. As a result, in 2025, the elders of ten rural villages asked Josphine if she would create an Alternative Rite-of-Passage (ARP) ceremony for their girls to take the place of FGM.
Last week Josphine conducted her first ARP for 104 girls (our max capacity per event) from these ten villages. The event took place over 6 days. The first 5 days were educational in nature as girls received training on a variety of topics designed to develop their confidence and critical thinking skills while encouraging them to become positive leaders in their communities. The 6th day parents and village elders joined the girls in a celebration – marking the passage of participants from childhood to womanhood. The celebration included singing, dancing, skits, speeches, a feast, and most importantly, the blessings of elders. The elder blessing meant the entire community accepted this as a legitimate replacement for FGM.
104 girls who otherwise would have endured the dangers and suffering of FGM have now passed into womanhood without it! More ARPs to come!
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