ALTERNATIVE TO GENITAL MUTILATION EMERGES FOR KENYA'S MAASAI GIRLS
SHUN GENITAL MUTILATION FOR OUR GIRLS
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In a remote, deeply traditional corner of southern Kenya, thousands of young Maasai girls wearing black and white robes and with blood sprinkled on their foreheads dance in the light of dawn. Loudly, enthusiastically, they sing traditional songs with the support of a choir and gifted drummers. In the town of Entasopia, the girls are undergoing a rite of passage that resembles the tribe’s customary coming-of-age ceremony—but without the usual horror of genital mutilation.
“I am very happy because I will not be married off at this age,” says 12-year-old Joan Siyuama as she drinks raw blood from a slaughtered bull to signify her ascendance to adulthood after participating in the ceremony. “I will now go to school and achieve my dream of becoming a doctor.”

Siyuama is among many Maasai girls who are bucking a tradition that has disfigured millions of their ancestors. For the Maasai community, traditional culture permeates every aspect of daily life. Until recently, that culture dictated that elders must remove a girl’s labia and much of her clitoris before she could marry. But with the help of a generation of activists campaigning against female genital mutilation and early forced marriages, traditional African communities like this one have accepted an alternative ceremony. As a result, fewer girls are being married off as teenagers, and more are going to school.
“In the Maasai community, we have no female doctors, teachers, journalists or any other position in the government because of this practice,” says Ole Lelein Kanunga, a Maasai man leading the campaign against female genital mutilation. “But since 2013, we said there will be no such practice in this community of Maasai.”
Elder works to spare girls
Thirteen years ago, Maasai elders appointed Kanunga as the chief moran , or warrior, in Entasopia, a lush oasis of trees and pasture in the otherwise desert flats of southern Kenya. He’s now in charge of 750 men between the ages of 14 and 30. Since he received training in 2013 from a nongovernmental organization about female genital mutilation’s dangers, he has held meetings with men and women to educate them about these risks, including diseases, psychological trauma and complications during childbirth.
“I used to attend several ceremonies where young girls would undergo the cut,” he says. “But one day when I visited a ceremony, the circumciser did it wrong, and one of the girls began to cry as she bled profusely. It hit me. I needed to act and stop this.”
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Kenyan girls and women in the Maasai and Samburu communities show their support for ending female genital mutilation.SAMUEL SIRIRIA LEADISM
Kanunga says his and his warriors’ efforts have helped more than 10,000 girls avoid undergoing the procedure since 2013.
It wasn’t easy. Kanunga had to confront other leaders who didn’t share his perspective. “It was very hard for me to speak about it, even after being taught the effects of the female genital mutilation,” he says. “When I stood up to oppose female genital mutilation, people were shocked. They questioned why the defender of our...http://www.controversialada.com/2016/04/alternative-to-genital-mutilation.html

what do you think about this old Tradition? Does the popular myth that uncircumcised girls are promiscuous really hold water?

It's crap!!!










I said it!

ureach:
It's crap!!!











I said it!

what is crap and wat did you say?

Controversialad:


what is crap and wat did you say?

Tot we were discussing female circumcision..

Looks around for concurrence....

what's supposed to be my take?

ureach:


Tot we were discussing female circumcision..

Looks around for concurrence....

Tell me the difference btw mutilation and Circumcision?

FGM is sheer wickedness. Infact it is barbaric. I stand against female genital mutilation.

It doesn't happen in my culture anymore. Moreover this is the 21st century, who will want to endanger there female child/children with various diseases associated with circumcision. Its barbaric and archaic....

We are not Kenyans. I know it still happens in a few places but our law protects such kids. The child right law is against it hence any parent who makes their female child(ren) go through circumcision can be prosecuted.

It still happens in some remote villages in Nigeria..though it might not be brough to our noticeI remember back in 1990's when my cousin was circumcise, there was so much celebration ..I remembered my grand aunt bought massive dry fish to prepare our favorite meal along side with drinks and other items for the celebration.there was this importance they attached to circumcision that indicates, women ascention into adult hood ....but these girls are much older from the age of 15-18 years.Neighbours & well wishers may come to present gift in form of money or material thngs.After the healing process, there is a red substance that is applied on all the the girls skin, she is also required to put on red clothings and slippers throughtout this period....A friend within her age group must escort her where ever she goes for that period till it end..
I use to see alot of these girl back then while growing up with thier red painted body, red cloths and red umbrella against the sun..it was a source of pride to the girls and their parents back then. So it is a similar situation here.We all attache circumcision to adulthood, the Pre-Nigeria old social system and means integration in the society was tied accoding to age group. There always is this joy in the society for a girl/boy to be counted or be upgraded to a particular age group in the society..it may not be fun for the girls but for the people that believe and uphold that culture.