Page 3 of the July-December 2000 Newsletter
1. REPORT:

Written reports were received from the three most active youth groups involved and the community volunteers. A sample questioner was used to determine the views of the boys involved in the project.

2. SUCCESSFUL COMPONENTS OF PROJECT:

  • Information dissemination through youth friendly posters, poems & games was a great success.
  • Successful workshops for young men dissemination through musical concerts.
  • Training 360 young men and making them totally committed to fighting FGM.
  • Establishing an agreement for continued community activities with the youth especially where finance is not needed.
  • Establishing a youth centered campaign through network of youth groups.
Committment card signed by participants
 
Committment card
signed by participants
3. DIFFICULTIES:
  • Difficulty in continuing with the old volunteer team and placing of almost entirely new team for the new intervention of workshop with.
  • Difficulty in expansion of project by involving more young men due to limited finance although request for more activities were overwhelming. Problem partially solved by networking with other existing organizations doing the same thing.
  • Fear of male talking about FGM at the beginning of project - Fear broken by older men motivators giving testimonies and examples.

4. HOW I WOULD DO THE PROJECT:

There are certain things I would do differently:
  1. I would form committees of young men themselves. This will give them more power over their own activities.
  2. Difficulty in continuing with the old volunteer team and placing of almost entirely new team for the new intervention of workshop with.
  3. Difficulty in expansion of project by involving more young men due to limited finance although request for more activities were overwhelming. Problem partially solved by networking with other existing organizations doing the same thing.
  4. Fear of male talking about FGM at the beginning of project - Fear broken by older men motivators giving testimonies and examples.
  5. Hold activities that will catch media attention for example holding 150km bicycle race to awareness.
  6. Buying space in the media twice a month where testimonies or feelings of the young people can be expressed.
  7. Make calendars that target the youth with information on FGM.
  8. Printing good quality poems alongside pictures of young heroes who have dedicated their lines to fight FGM and organizing with the daily newspaper to put one in each paper distributed to Kisii district.
  9. Use media plays and record the same on Audio tape to be played at music stores and in the homes to teach and inform young people more on FGM (use popular comedians to record the tapes.)
  10. Print books and diaries with messages on dangers of FGM.

5. PLANS FOR NEXT TWO YEARS.
  • To train more young male youths as counselors/information providers.
  • To establish 5 youth centers fully equipped with books, publications, tapes, flier's etc.
  • Print & publish youth centered information on pamphlets, magazines, posters etc.
  • Start a mobile video show campaign that informs and educates on dangers of FGM targeting youth.
  • Put together well talented youth musicians to compose songs that can be played to youths at the village level.
  • Establish village youth counseling centers.
  • Organize talent shows that will bring boys & girls to share their talents and win prizes.

6. PLANS FOR FUTURE:
  • A slightly higher allocation if possible so that more established activities can be carried out.
  • A long term plan that will see same of the plans put in place mature and replicated.

7. COMMENTS OR CRITICISMS:
     Nothing negative has been observed. The working relations have been cordial and well
     coordinated.


POEMS


WIPE MY TEARS

For how long will I cry?
Wipe my tears, my future husband
Every December, they came for me
The pain, the torment,
As if that is not enough
Marriage awaits me at an early age.
My education hampered
Thus I'm voiceless without education.
The future is dark
For I know what awaits me
The counselor's words came to my mind
  • You either contract AIDS
  • Have problems at birth
  • Develop cancer
  • Constant pain
  • Infections due to wound
And the worst; NO FEELINGS FOR YOUR MAN IN MARRIAGE
Wipe my tears my future husband
For I want to enjoy my womanhood
For when my tears are gone,
Female genital mutilation will be wiped out.

REAL MEN
  • Real men change their environment
  • Real men make big decisions
  • Real men know the bad from good
  • Real men are in charge
  • Real men are wise
  • Real men bring change
Change for a better community, and society
  • Real men say NO!!
  • No to bad policy
  • No to bad behaviour and character
  • No to harmful customs and traditions
JOIN OTHER REAL MEN IN SAYING NO TO FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION.


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