13 December 08
Dear Friends and Family,
“Men, their rights, and nothing more; women, their rights, and nothing less”. Susan B. Anthony
During the week of December 1 – 5th the Women’s Fellowship at St. Josephs Methodist Church in Maua, (our church and I’m a member of the Women’s Fellowship) sponsored a Girls Alternative Rite of Passage for 96 girls.
When we arrived in Maua in 1999, 98% of the women were female circumcised. When we returned in 2007 it had decreased to 92%. In our area female circumcision or “Female Genital Mutilation” (FGM) is done as early as 8 years of age to approximately 15 years of age. In the last census it was found that 70% of the boys and girls in our area left school after Standard 3 (3rd grade). Presently Primary School no longer has high fees and many more girls and boys are attending school through Standard 8. Thus the age of FGM has increased. The FGM that is practiced here is 2nd degree which means all external genitalia are removed. The girls/teens generally go in village groups and are circumcised together and then are secluded for one month in a tiny hut built specifically for them by the parents. During that month a woman chosen by the girl or her mother (a woman that had been circumcised in the same group as the mother) would visit the girl/teen daily or might actually stay with her to bring or provide food and teach the newly circumcised girl/teen how to be a woman in this area of Kenya. There was no curriculum so the woman taught what she believed was most important. After one month the girl/teen emerges from her seclusion as a woman. The first week would be a time of healing with the final 3 weeks used for daily teaching. Unlike male circumcision, which entails much celebration, eating and dancing when the man emerges, the new woman experiences little or no fanfare. Since the practice of FGM has been against the law since 1998 it is often done in secret!
The Girls Alternative Rite of Passage started in Mary Gitari’s mind shortly after her election as Chairwoman of the Women’s Fellowship early this year. Mary is the Nursing Officer In-charge (Matron) at Maua Methodist Hospital and an outstanding church and community leader. In July, Mary’s dream was given flight by a work team from Oregon. A work team member was most anxious to help stop the practice of FGM and funds were donated to the program. With this money, Mary and the Women’s Fellowship began to plan the 5-day event. The Alternative Rite of Passage was opened to members of St. Joseph’s Methodist Church but grew to include numerous girls from other denominations and 16 girls from the Giving Hope program.
Mary and her team did an excellent job of planning the event. They had hoped and prayed for 70 participants. They rented the dorms and large dining area at Maua Girls Secondary School. They arranged for woman to prepare breakfast, lunch, dinner and 2 teas daily for the girls and facilitators. Six members of the Women’s Fellowship spent each night with the girls and an additional 7 other members came during the day to teach the classes. A matching skirt and top were made for all the girls out of light blue material, so on the final day they all wore their new outfits as they emerged as the new woman of the community.
Though I was working full time, I was allowed to attend as much of the 5-day event as I could make up working early in the morning and late at night. Thus I accompanied Mary to the school at 9:40am on Monday morning, the first day. I had the great privilege of teaching the first class on Anatomy and Physiology and helping to teach Growth and Development when the person assigned did not show up. But I better back up a bit.
When Mary and I arrived she mobilized the girls to set up the room and I was assigned to everyone. I so enjoyed meeting each girl and though I was slow at the job; it was such fun to learn their name, age, class and church. The ages ranged from 14 – 18. Participants in the Opening of the Event Mary Gitari in pink with 2 other W. F. members during the Opening session Mary opened the event with singing, thanksgiving and prayer. There was so much joy and excitement in the room. We heard speeches of encouragement and joy by the Chairman of the Church, Mr. Meme Kanaki, Rev. Matano and Rev. Munoru, the pastors of St. Josephs’ and Rev. Gikabu, Chaplain at the hospital. Rev. Munoru’s talk included the myth of how FGM was started.
“Many years ago the Igembi people went to war with another group of people over their stolen cattle and goats. All the young men went to fight while all the old men went to pray for the young men. The women and children were left behind. It took a very long time to win the war but finally all the men, young and old, returned to find all the women pregnant. The uncircumcised boys had impregnated the women. The men met and decided the women must be punished in a way that would stop women from burning with desire for sexual relations when their men were gone and so FGM was born.”
The opening session took about 1 ½ hours. Then we all enjoyed tea together which included a cup of tea and a roll. The men then excused themselves and the teaching began.
I had created a Power Point Presentation and Bill had brought me all the equipment I needed to teach my Anatomy and Physiology class. There were 3 electrical outlets on the stage area but none worked. Fortunately I had brought handouts and was able to use them in my teaching. The girls were so attentive, asking good questions and participating well. After my presentation we had planned to eat lunch but it was not ready so we continued with Growth and Development. When that was complete, 3pm, the lunch was ready and we all ate.
Girls eating Singing led by the participants after the meal
The curriculum for the girls for the four days of teaching included the following classes: anatomy & physiology, human growth and development, female hygiene & cleanliness, understanding traditional practice circumcision, physical initiation, advantages and disadvantages to FGM, types of FGM and its complications, law and human rights, myths concerning FGM, reasons for FGM in our area, teenage pregnancy and rape, STI, HIV/AIDS, how to live a Christian life, abstain and say no, how to handle a husband, relationships with parents, peers and dressing changes/styles, opposite sex – secret relationships and openness, community social interactions and respect for all, and Holy matrimony. Each evening the girls had a time of entertainment. Part of that time was used by girls who volunteered to write a song that related to their training and experience that would be presented during the graduation service. Breakfast was served around 8:15am and each day included devotions immediately following breakfast done by one of the girls. There was singing led by the girls between teaching sessions and at least one small group session daily.
Mercy Kanyaru, the wife of the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church in Kenya, came on Wednesday and stayed through the graduation on Friday. Her presence added much to this special time and her wisdom and the loving way she taught the girls was a great encouragement to all of us. During the graduation ceremony she was asked to shake the girls hands after they received their certificates. She said she would not shake their hands but would hug them and hug them she did, each of the 96 participants. She was the guest speaker at the graduation and her inspirational address had everyone clapping and dancing.
Mercy Kanyaru Participants during one of the teaching sessions
I attended as many sessions as I could each day of the week. I know the girls learned a great deal but I must admit I think I learned more than anyone. With every session I found myself absolutely amazed at how many assumptions I make about behavior and beliefs that are incorrect. I was so amazed during the teaching on the myths that have sustained the practice. As with many myths they seemed preposterous but have been extremely effective. One of the things that happens to the girls immediately following FGM is they make a vow to do all in their power to keep the tradition going. The vow is made using their own blood and if broken will bring a curse on their family and land. No wonder mother’s insist that their daughters are circumcised.
During the session on the law I was constantly amazed. In our area there has been a group of elders that made up what is known as the Njuri Ncheke. These men were selected to be members and for generations have been given the authority to make the final decisions for the Igembe people. To my amazement in 1952 the Njuri Ncheke made a declaration that female circumcision was not longer needed for the Igembe woman. The country had an army and police force and the men were not gone for long periods so the punishment of the women was over. We all learned this when one of the girls rose and asked, “Was it too much to ask for some pain and blood from the girls to bring honor to their ancestors?” Monica Makinya, the teacher, answered that question stating “The girls ancestors were the Njuri Ncheke of 1952 and that FGM should have stopped then and followed what the elders had decided as that would have brought honor to the ancestors. To continue to punish innocent girls after 1952 was inexcusable.”
A young female pastor shared that an Igembe woman would never make her husband feel like she knew more about any subject than he did. Even if the wife had a PhD in a topic, she would always make her husband feel like he knew more than she did. The reason given for this was that when a man feels like the woman knows more than he does, it shames him and when a man is shamed, he beats his wife. They were warned not to expect a man to do anything in the kitchen to help the woman no matter the circumstance. Kitchen work is women’s work and it always shames a man to do women’s work.
On Friday morning I was at the school at 10am. All the girls were dressed in their light blue skirts and tops. I watched them practice the song and drama they had created during the week. WOW!!! Then they began to line up for our march through Maua town on our way to St. Joseph’s Church for the graduation service. The sashes that identified the program and the church had not been delivered, so Mary Gitari and Mercy Kanyaru went to pick them up and left me in-charge of the girls. The women who had been spending the night with the girls had gone home to change. As I waited with the girls they began singing and praising God for His goodness. Thankfulness seemed to permeate the air we breathed and joy filled us all up to the brim and began to overflow. As soon as Mary and Marcy returned the sashes were pinned on and after a short wait we began our march through Maua. Sash the participants wore Marching through Maua
The people of Maua watched with delight and amazement. Workers in the shops ran out to watch us. Many women clapped and began singing with us. Some men smiled and cheered or gave us a thumbs up! Some men just shrugged their shoulders and watched or turned away and left. Marching through Maua gave most of the girls a new confidence and pride. My heart soared like an eagle!
When we arrived at St. Joseph’s Church the girls circled it many times clapping, dancing and singing. They then filed into the church and filled one third of the pews. The parents followed their daughters’ and sat behind them. After some singing the graduation ceremony began with bible reading, a sermon, presentation of the certificates, the guest speaker and the girls presentation, which for me was the high light of the graduation service.
Approximately 20 girls wearing a kanga over their blue skirts came forward. They stood in four lines and began their song. The song told the story of a young girl, Kendi, who was to be circumcised. “It was her time” the song stated and then repeated numerous times. The village women were excited and sang about the circumcision ceremony. But Kendi begged her mother not do circumcise her. She pleaded, cried, fell on her knees but her mother was equally determined. Finally the mother and village women dragged Kendi off to be circumcised. The signifying Kendi’s circumcision. Then Kendi became very ill and almost died. The village women were very worried. Kendi’s mother asks herself why she would put her daughter in harms way? Why she would force her to do something that has almost killed her? In remorse the mother declares this it is the end. She will not circumcise her other daughters. The village women join in and everyone begins to sing that circumcision is over. The beat and volume of the music goes from moderate and quiet to very fast and loud. The excitement of everyone in the church climaxed as the girls danced at a breakneck pace singing “It is over, it is over, no more circumcision.” As the girls return to their seats the congregation was on their feet and singing or shouting loudly, “It is over, female circumcision is over’!
Girls dancing Girls asking why Kendi was circumcised
After the girls received their certificates they were given a candle. With all 96 girls standing in the front of the church, the light that was radiated from their candles and faces seemed bright enough to light the world and it is our prayer their light will illuminate the darkness and secretive practice of FGM.
One girl receiving her certificate from Mercy Kanyaru Girls holding their certificates and candles
Join us in prayer that FGM is over or soon will be! The Woman’s Fellowship, the church and much of the community are very excited about 96 new young women in our area who were not circumcised and will not be circumcised.
We pray each of you has a joyous and wondrous holiday and a Christmas centered on Jesus Christ and His love for each of us.
In His grip,
Jerri & Bill Savuto
savuto@maf.or.ke
Maua Methodist Hospital
Box 63, Maua 60600
Igembe, Kenya
“Lead with love and faith, and overcoming mountainous challenges, indeed accomplishing almost anything worthwhile, will be possible.” Charles C. Manz
