It’s a long, long way to Ourossogui 

It’s always an inspiring pleasure to get out and visit partners and projects, and after a day of meetings in Dakar with Tostan, we set out for the Fouta. Our drive from coastal, breezy Dakar to the perpetual sauna of the Fouta took the best part of a day, about ten hours in the (mercifully air conditioned!) car through a landscape which changed from cosmopolitan Dakar’s three lane highways and busy outskirts, to the Baobab trees of the Thiès area, we went around the outskirts of St Louis (where Africa’s largest jazz festival was in full swing!), and turned East, heading inland. To our surprise there were paddy fields, where Senegalese rice is cultivated thanks to the water from the nearby Senegal river, but quickly that tailed off, replaced by dust, spiked Acacia trees, and sparse settlements. Lunch was in Richard Toll, a small, buzzy town and a café with delicious chips. But the journey was only just beginning – and we continued along the surprisingly well tarmacked road to Ourossugui. We’d heard a bit about Ourossugui from Tostan Volunteers Elke and Alex, with their project updates, so we were delighted to meet Tostan Volunteer for Matam, Alex Dunkel, and the Regional Co-ordinator, Abou Diack. Walking around in the Fouta is like walking around in a sauna, with sudden gusts of hot air that remind me of opening a fan oven in the middle of baking a cake. It’s very hot. Luckily, our hotel had air conditioning (a pleasant surprise!).

The Fouta landscape

Meeting the team in Asnde Balla

On Saturday (a little cooler at about 39 Celsius/102 Fahrenheit) Abou Diack and Alex came to pick us up and we all piled into the car for the journey of an hour to the village of Asnde Balla, where the Fouta’s Orchid Project-funded social mobilisation team was holding an inter-village meeting. We met the social mobilisation team, four men and a woman, and their supervisor, and sat down for a chat. With double translation (Pulaar – French – English) things took a little while but the conversations were totally fascinating and worthwhile. Since the project started in December, this social mobilisation team have had 1,350 people participate in activities through village meetings, enabling people to understand the social norm of female genital cutting, human rights, and what to do about FGC. The region of the Fouta covers a huge area, and the team members come from different departments of the region, and had convened in Asnde Balla as part of their 12 day mission for May. The team make their journeys by public transport, often including horse and cart, and give of their time freely, receiving no payment. Their dedication to the cause is simply inspiring. 

The social mobilisation team

Mara Samba Diallo’s story

The Fouta is a conservative region where Tostan has been working since 1997, and the first declaration in the Fouta took place in 2005. Mara Samba Diallo, a member of the social mobilisation team, was the Community Management Committee Co-ordinator of her village, which abandoned in the second declaration in the area, in 2007. Mara told us how, despite her own community having abandoned, there are still many challenges, and that this is one of the reasons why she is a social mobilisation agent, as more awareness needs to be raised. Mara herself was married aged 12, but her husband moved to Angola for a few years, meaning she had her first child in 1985. She told us of the complications she experienced in childbirth as a result of being cut, four days in labour, when everyone thought she might die. She didn’t – but she also didn’t realise that her difficult birth was connected with the cut. Mara told us that her own realisation of the problems associated with FGC came later, when her niece was cut aged two or three. Most girls in the Fouta are cut in infancy so this in itself was rare, and because Mara comes from a family of marabouts (religious scholars). Mara’s niece bled a lot, and only survived because she was taken quickly to a health professional, who explained to Mara and the other women that this had happened because of the cut. Mara and her niece appear in the film ‘Fouta it’s Time to Talk’ and her niece is one of Mara’s biggest supporters these days, herself an advocate for change. Mara told us that, although it’s not easy, she made a decision to share her own suffering and story so that others will not have the same experience. In the Fouta, people don’t talk about their personal experiences, so Mara and the other team members sharing their experiences is truly powerful. 

Mara Samba Diallo

Abdoulrahman Bâ

Abdoulrahman Bâ, a marabout from Haere Lao is another team member. He joined the team after a social mobilisation team visited and he was able to see the effects of the awareness-raising on his community. He told us that he does this work because he wants to save lives. As a marabout, Abdoulrahman is ideally placed to talk to people who believe that female genital cutting is prescribed by the Koran – he is a religious scholar, and can use his learning and his status to explain that FGC is not, in fact, a religious obligation. He regularly meets with other marabouts who do not agree with his work, and in every conversation he seeks to speak with them, to convince them that FGC should end. Some marabouts have tried to stop him from doing this work. Others, however, have been convinced by his words.

We heard from the team about the difficulties of their work, too. Some communities are not ready to talk about human rights, about female genital cutting, about child marriage. For the team, as they are from these communities, it can be painful if they are turned away, not even offered a place to sleep. However, the whole team emphasised to us just how motivated they are, with the courage to carry on their vital work on what is such a delicate issue. 

Abdoulrahman Bâ

The inter-village meeting

After chatting for quite some time, we went with the social mobilisation team to the inter-village meeting which they had organised. The village of Asnde Balla, where we were, is currently going through Tostan’s Community Empowerment Programme. Two other CEP villages were there, along with ten villages that had been visited by the social mobilisation team. We heard from the chief of Asnde Balla that he was very pleased Tostan is now delivering the programme in his village, as they first wanted the CEP in 2010, when he attended a Tostan event in nearby Ore Fonde. The Fouta is a challenging place for Tostan to work, but we repeatedly heard from community members of how excited they were to be participating in Tostan’s work. The inter-village meeting was a real treat, with about 150 people present. The conversation got started with a Tostan facilitator holding up a picture depicting the right to be free from violence.

Beginning the session in Asnde Balla

Representatives from the villages stood up and talked about their experiences of Tostan’s social mobilisation activities. One young woman commented that young women and girls experience a lot more violence than men do, and that this needs to be recognised. Another woman said that community members need to take responsibility for working in their own neighbouring villages, because they all intermarry and need to have the same level of knowledge as each other. An older woman stood up and said “we need to stop blaming the marabouts. It’s up to us to make the decision to cut or not, we need to take ownership of this” and got a huge cheer from the crowd. A young man told the group that education is the key, “if we are not educated, we cannot make up our own minds. When we are educated we can make different choices.” 

Feeding back (and eating lunch!)

After many people had shared their opinions (and we’d tasted the local delicacy, sour milk with sugar – delicious, refreshing, and a bit like an Indian lassi) those attending split into four groups, to go away and discuss the topics further. We went away and spent some more time chatting with the social mobilisation team before the groups reconvened to give feedback from the sessions. It seemed like the inter-village meeting had gone really well. People’s voices had been heard, and for me it was especially interesting to hear the different views and the resistance. Female genital cutting is a big issue in the Fouta, where more than 9 in 10 women have been cut. It’s a closely guarded tradition, and not everyone is read to abandon it. Yet. At the feedback session discussions varied, with some people saying they were ready to stop cutting, and others wanting more information, or to head back to their communities and hold a general assembly. The social mobilisation team, and the Tostan Fouta co-ordination were pleased with the session, and at the end Abou Diack stood up and said “we don’t all think the same, and for some of us this is the first time talking about this topic, but we have shared opinions and information, we have come together and shared, and this is the beginning of a conversation. The door is open for discussion of the topic.” Then it was time for lunch, and more chatting with Tostan and the social mobilisation team. 

At the inter-village meeting

For the Orchid Project team and our Tostan project manager, Marieke, it was really incredible to be at this meeting – to hear about the progress, the challenges, the concerns, and ultimately to leave with a sense that, while it may take a while, there is real hope for an end to FGC in the Fouta region. The social mobilisation team set off from Asnde Balla for their next village visit – we returned to our air conditioned oasis, inspired by the work they are doing, and feeling heartened that this project, which we developed last year and fundraised for, is making an impact. 

Note:

This blog is part of a series on the Social Mobilisation project that Orchid Project funds in support of Tostan’s long term Community Empowerment Programme. Social Mobilisation is focused on ensuring the acceleration of abandonment of FGC in Senegal. Teams of volunteers who have already abandoned FGC, called social mobilisation agents, visit and create dialogue with inter-connected communities on human rights and the negative consequences of FGC. Their work aims to spread the message of abandonment and encourage others to join them.

Social mobilisation agents are individual members of the community who have been inspired by their understanding that FGC is a harmful practices, and are eager to share their own experiences with others. Often, they are religious, traditional or community leaders who are widely respected and well-connected, active, influential participants.

You can find out more about Social Mobilisation by clicking here. If you would like to support this work, please click here.

In today’s Standard, Davis tells the compelling story of Mara Samba Diallo, an “unlikely  human rights activist” and cut woman, who is using her own story to encourage practising communities to abandon FGC. Mara is a volunteer with one of Tostan’s  ‘Community Mobilising Agents’, and travels with them from village to village around the Fouta region of northern Senegal.

Her decision to speak out against FGC, alongside religious Elders who are telling communities that FGC is not part of the Koran, is enabling these villages to have honest and open conversations about the practice, often for the first time. The process of abandonment through which communities come to the decision to stop carrying out FGC is spreading like wildfire in Senegal. Tostan predict that the country could be FGC free within the next three years.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/victim-turns-campaigner-woman-who-travels-the-land-using-her-own-story-to-fight-horror-of-female-genital-mutilation-8624967.html?origin=internalSearch

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/the-woman-who-is-inspiring-africans-to-turn-against-female-genital-mutilation-8623492.htm

A journalist and photographer from Danish newspaper Berlingske, were invited to Ethiopia by UNICEF Denmark to cover the launch of a joint campaign with UNICEF, UNFPA and the UN Population Fund. The campaign aims to eradicate FGC in Ethiopia and 14 other countries, through awareness raising and fundraising for the program.

A tour around Ethiopia comprised a visit to Barbara May Maternity Hospital in Mille, north-eastern Ethiopia. Here the Berlingske team met Sadiye, a 10 year-old girl who had undergone FGC. She was in great pain, as the procedure had caused scar tissue to develop giving rise to urinary complications. Another little girl, Asia aged 8, had scars on her abdomen which had developed into a cyst resulting from her circumcision. Sadiye and Asia are of course two among millions of girls worldwide facing FGC. It is wonderful to see, given the strong support from Norway and Sweden, as well as UNICEF/UNFPA Denmark, how FGC is making it onto the Danish radar.

Other coverage about FGC in the Danish media can be viewed here:

 http://www.b.dk/nationalt/omskaering-af-piger-er-langsomt-paa-vej-ud

http://www.bt.dk/danmark/omskaering-af-piger-er-langsomt-paa-vej-ud

http://www.dr.dk/Nyheder/Udland/2013/05/19/0519120728.htm

http://www.b.dk/globalt/omskaering-et-ar-for-livet

3 May

“The dual carriage way was just as expected – straight, flat, busy, and incredibly boring. We approached another traffic jammed junction at just 10 miles in, and I couldn’t resist the sarcasm anymore as it poured from my mouth, ‘scenic, isn’t it?’

At that point, Jindy did two things; 1) he pulled over and handed the map over to me, and 2) he made a very big mistake.

As I scanned the map for an alternative route, I was lured by the words ‘scenic viewpoint’ and decided that this would be our new route to McMinnville. I handed the map back to Jindy with my finger pointed to ‘Bald Peak State Park’ and he simply responded with ‘Yes that’s nice, lead the way then’. He had silently surrendered.

…1 hour, 1639 ft, 3.3 miles, and an incline of up to 12% later – we had reached the top of what we now understand to be one of the toughest climbs in Oregon.”

13 May

“Forget my last blog. That hill wasn’t so bad considering the relentless climbs we’ve had since. One after the other… gruelling and never ending rollers, but it does mean that we’ve been able to see some epic views over the last of Oregon’s west coast, and now into the giant Redwood forests of California – home to the Ewoks and Starwars! We’ve also been really lucky to spot lots of whales migrating north and elk chilling out in the forests. It has been incredible and totally worth all the effort.

 I never thought I’d say this but I’m so bored of eating! The sight of an apple pie now makes me feel physically ill – but I’ll still eat it. According to various calorie counters and cycling experts, we are burning approximately 3000 calories on top of what we’d normally burn in a day. This is a ridiculous amount of additional deep fried, super sized, full fat, and honey glazed US food. Unfortunately for Jindy, this also means he no longer gets my leftovers – because there are no leftovers – and he no longer gets to have the bigger half.”

Story by Allyson Fritz, Tostan

It isn’t often that I find myself dialing the knob on an actual radio and adjusting its antenna to catch the best reception. The kind of radio that I am used to is usually streaming from the internet or playing from the speakers of a car, and it is primarily used for entertainment. Last week, however, I gained a much deeper appreciation for the impact that a small grey box with an antenna can have on a movement as big as the abandonment of female genital cutting (FGC).

The Guardian – Casualty turns spotlight on female genital mutilation

Huffington Post UK – African Women on FGM “Sometimes they just call you lazy”

The Independent – Police go back over cases of female genital mutilation

The Daily Mail – Female Genital Mutilation to be Featured on Casualty as BBC becomes First Mainstream Broadcaster to Tackle Taboo Subject in a Drama

The Guardian – The Girl Who Demanded School

The Post – Teenager hailed for fighting mutilation

FIGO – NSPCC wants teachers to fulfill vital role against FGM

London Evening Standard_Teachers are failing to protect girls from genital mutilation, says NSPCC

London Evening Standard_Ayaan Hirsi Ali: ‘FGM was done to me at the age of five. Ten years later, even 20… I would not have testified against my parents’

BBC News_Female genital mutilation: Bristol study finds 117 cases

NewEurope_Clear END FGM human rights policy, hazy fiscal plan

The Guardian – Sister Fa: African rapper with a cause

The Guardian – Female genital mutilation questions could be raised by midwives

The Guardian- Female genital mutilation: ‘I want to help other girls’

TrustLaw-UK demands ‘real action’ from global meeting on violence against women

The Independant - Special report: Female genital mutilation – unreported, ignored and unpunished

Huffington Post - NSPCC Finally Considers Female Genital Mutilation a Child Protection Issue

FIGO - FGM detection ‘difficult in Britain’

Express.co.uk – ‘End Vile Practice of Female Mutilation’

Women’s Views on News – Petition to End FGM in the UK

Huffington Post UK – Why do we need an international day for the elimination of violence against women?

The Bradford Telegraph and Argus – 120 women in city have suffered horror of genital mutilation

The Independent – Prosecutors in bid to prevent female genital mutilation

TrustLaw – UK launches “health passport” to reduce genital mutilation

FIGO – Campaigner hails efforts to prevent FGM in Africa

The Guardian – The day I saw 248 girls suffering genital mutilation 

The Guardian – Female genital mutilation: time for a prosecution 

FIGO – FGM prosecutions ‘needed in Britain’

The Guardian – Female Genital Mutilation: Asylum Seeker Fights Deportation to the Gambia

Huffington Post UK – Female Genital Mutilation Is Child Abuse Too; So Why NO Enquiries About Ignoring It?

BBC News – Avon and Somerset PCC Election: Lib Dem Hopeful in FGM Pledge

1 May

“I’ve decided, on behalf of everyone, that we are all moving to Portland. In addition to being the city where Ollie and Kirstin live, it’s also home to voodoo donuts – insanely gluttonous donuts, numerous sushi and sake bars, strange ice-cream combos, Powells bookstore, vineyards, mountains, lakes, rivers, and bikes. I don’t really know what more we’d need?

We have to leave today to continue our journey south. The next destination is a small town called Mcminville. I’m currently arguing with Jindy about the route to take. He wants to go down the dual carriage way because it is quicker. I want to go around the dual carriage way because it is more scenic and only five miles longer. There’s only one correct answer. I feel bad for him so I might just let him have this one. I’m also letting him have it because I farted this morning – ACCIDENTALLY – and am a bit sheepish. He keeps laughing. I’m really embarrassed. But it’s very funny. Damn it.”

29 April

“I won’t even attempt to lie, so here’s the truth. The reason why I haven’t set up this blog yet is because I’ve been stuffing my face with blueberry pancakes since I arrived. It’s really not my fault. I’m in America. We’ve also cycled 229 miles so far so I suppose you could say the pancakes have been helping me ‘acclimatise’.

We’ve been heading south from Seattle, hitting Shelton, Centralia, Kelso, and have found our way to Ollie and Kirstin, in Portland, Oregon. The trip started off with a few days mooching around Seattle, where we checked out the infamous pike place public market, iconic space needle, Bruce Lee’s grave, the secret underground city, and obviously ate a couple of blueberry pancakes along the way. There was one debate about Margaret Thatcher caused by one too many whiskey sours, but apart from that, tension levels remained pretty low as we set off for our first ride on Thursday.

Then, an hour later, Jindy leads us the wrong way down a very long steep hill. Apparently, I gave him a ‘look’ of disgust before stroppily pedaling back up the hill. Tension levels shifted somewhat, but only for a few seconds before I decided that he didn’t get us lost on purpose, and that he looked like he’d slightly stained his pants when confronting me. You might be thinking ‘Come on Meena, you could have helped out with reading the map?’ Aha! i did offer to help with directions but was abruptly shooed away. I couldn’t really respond with anything other than a raised eyebrow and a little bit of patience knowing what would inevitably follow.

After an incredibly hilly 45 miles we hit our first destination – Shelton – where we stayed with a warmshowers host. For those of you who haven’t heard of warmshowers, it’s a site for cyclists by cyclists who offer a warm shower and bed for cyclists en route. As we walked up the drive we were met by a dude in his garage, beer in hand, sanding down two beautiful kayaks. His name is Alan. Alan is a hardcore adventurer / chemist / artist / and anything else he chooses to be, who is currently building two kayaks for a trip to Alaska. He reckons he’ll die doing it so he wants someone to go with him to witness his epic death by whale encounter. So who’s in? The actual reason why Alan is so amazing is because he made us lasagne, home made apple pie, and a stack of blueberry pancakes for breakfast. I love Alan.

Recently, the team of social mobilisation volunteers were working with a community that chose not to abandon FGC after they had conducted the village meeting. Men and women from the village listened to the initial presentations of the social mobilization agents and asked questions on the general topics of women’s health and child/forced marriage.  When the topic of FGC was broached an hour later, it became apparent that two important authority figures in the village, the village chief and the imam, held differing opinions on the abandonment of FGC.

The village chief stated that he was in favour of abandoning the practice, while the imam declared that he was not. The village chief announced that several years ago he, along with other village chiefs, had been summoned to the police station and told that his and all other villages must abandon the practice of FGC according to the law passed by the Senegalese government in 1999. He shared that while he had been initially hesitant to abandon the practice because he did not understand the reasoning behind it, he was now in favour of abandoning because the social mobilization agents had shared with him the harmful effects it can have.

In contrast, the imam explained that he opposed abandoning the practice because he believed it to be a requirement of Islam. Tostan recognizes that this is a common barrier and so, in anticipation of that, the Kolda team includes two marabouts (Islamic religious teachers); these two religious figures are able to definitively state that nowhere in the Koran is FGC mentioned. However, even after these two marabouts explained that FGC is not a requirement of Islam but rather a traditional practice, the village imam remained opposed to its abandonment.

As in all villages in this region, the village chief and imam hold significant sway over their community. In order for the entire village to abandon the practice, it is essential that those in positions of authority are in agreement with its abandonment.

The men in the village stated that after prayers they would reconvene separately and continue the discussion. If they reached an agreement, they would return to where the social mobilization team was spending the night in the village. If they did not arrive at a consensus they would not come back. This separate meeting was limited to the men because in this village and many others here, men make important decisions on behalf of the village. In speaking to communities about women’s rights and health, Tostan hopes to empower women and encourage them to take part in these important discussions.

By the next morning the men had still not returned to speak with the Tostan team. This meant that the village had not reached an agreement, and therefore was not prepared to abandon the practice of FGC.

Even though it was not the result they had hoped for, the team understood that the village was not ready at that time to abandon FGC. The community would need more time to question the practice and learn why other neighboring communities in their social networks are abandoning it. The team was not deterred though and began to plan how best to follow up in this village. Tostan’s Kolda team supervisor, Thiérno Yaayaa Diallo, returned several days later for a scheduled meeting with the imam, but unfortunately the imam was not present.

After Diallo’s unsuccessful attempt to meet with the imam, he discussed the situation with the Tostan Coordination in Kolda. In instances such as this, Tostan looks at each case and develops an alternative strategy that may be more effective for a particular village. The social mobilization team plans to reach out once more to see if this particular village is willing to open up another dialogue.

In addition, this village will be invited to the inter-village meeting that will include all of the villages that have hosted Kolda’s social mobilization team over the past four months. These meetings give communities an opportunity to exchange their views on FGC and why some have chosen to abandon the practice as well as share their visions for the future of their village.

Promoting the abandonment of FGC is a challenging and delicate task, but many communities are leading the progress towards total abandonment of this harmful traditional practice in Senegal. Through continued outreach and inclusive discussion, communities hesitant to abandon, like the one visited by the Kolda social mobilization team, can decide to join the FGC abandonment movement as well.

Story by Allyson Fritz, Tostan

This blog is part of a series on the Social Mobilisation project that Orchid Project funds in support of Tostan’s long term Community Empowerment Programme. Social Mobilisation is focused on ensuring the acceleration of abandonment of FGC in Senegal. Teams of volunteers who have already abandoned FGC, called social mobilisation agents, visit and create dialogue with inter-connected communities on human rights and the negative consequences of FGC. Their work aims to spread the message of abandonment and encourage others to join them.

Social mobilisation agents are individual members of the community who have been inspired by their understanding that FGC is a harmful practices, and are eager to share their own experiences with others. Often, they are religious, traditional or community leaders who are widely respected and well-connected, active, influential participants.

You can find out more about Social Mobilisation by clicking here. If you would like to support this work, please click here.

When looking at the number of villages who have decided to abandon FGC, over 5,500 in Senegal alone, it’s easy to forget just how difficult it is to shift this social norm. In many villages in Senegal, as in other countries, female genital cutting (FGC) is a tradition deeply embedded in the culture. Communities that practise FGC may think it is important because it has been done for as long as they can remember, or they may be subject to the misconception that it is a requirement of Islam.

Tostan social mobilization teams address concerns like these in a respectful manner while sharing information on the harmful effects of FGC and, specifically, how other communities in their social networks are choosing to abandon. In partnership with the Orchid Project, the social mobilization team based in the Kolda region of Senegal conducts a 12-day long visit to multiple communities every month. Their goal is to share information and facilitate discussions in communities about human rights and the harmful traditional practice of FGC, as well as the growing movement to abandon the practice.

Through this dialogue, communities are able to discuss the harmful consequences of FGC and why other communities like their own are abandoning the practice. Collectively, they are then able to decide for themselves if they want their community to join others in abandoning.  At times this process can be rapid, but most often it occurs slowly as communities build their understanding of human rights and how the practice of FGC hinders the development of their community.   

When the team works with a community, they start by spending the first day with key members of the village, including the village chief, imam, president of the women’s group, school director, elected representatives, and president of the youth group.  They introduce themselves and inquire as to whether or not they may conduct a village meeting the following day at a time convenient for the village. If the village agrees, the team will spend the night in the village and facilitate the meeting the following day.

It is critical to get the support and approval of these persons of authority before beginning any meetings with the rest of the community. They are respected voices within their communities and without their consent, it would be very difficult for the team to gather the community and share their knowledge, experiences and information.

At the appointed time on the second day of the team’s stay in a village, the meeting is convened and everyone is invited to participate. The team structures the meetings so that they start out with general information and slowly move into more sensitive topics.  The rationale behind this is that if the team jumps right into discussing FGC, which has been a taboo subject for so long, the community may be hesitant to share because they do not know the team or their purpose.

By transitioning slowly from talking about human rights, specifically those rights of women and children, and moving into violence committed against women and eventually FGC, the community is able to get a sense of who these agents are and what they are trying to accomplish. They are then more likely to feel comfortable enough to engage in a dialogue.

Story by Allyson Fritz, Tostan

This blog is part of a series on the Social Mobilisation project that Orchid Project funds in support of Tostan’s long term Community Empowerment Programme. Social Mobilisation is focused on ensuring the acceleration of abandonment of FGC in Senegal. Teams of volunteers who have already abandoned FGC, called social mobilisation agents, visit and create dialogue with inter-connected communities on human rights and the negative consequences of FGC. Their work aims to spread the message of abandonment and encourage others to join them.

Social mobilisation agents are individual members of the community who have been inspired by their understanding that FGC is a harmful practices, and are eager to share their own experiences with others. Often, they are religious, traditional or community leaders who are widely respected and well-connected, active, influential participants.

You can find out more about Social Mobilisation by clicking here. If you would like to support this work, please click here.