FGM

Where to begin? Thankfully, in some regards, this is a subject that doesn’t come up much in polite western conversations.

Heads of schools and colleges and many positions in the Ministries are political appointments and often do not reflect the individual’s experience or abilities to fill the position. The individuals will have qualifications a plenty, as these are highly prized, assiduously collected and valued over experience. This was the case at the large (remember 5,000 students plus!) primary school I visited some few weeks ago. The new “Dean” is in his 30’s, has little classroom teaching time, no prior administrative background and little personality to compensate for this lack of experience. By way of contrast, the primary school teacher who escorted us around, in addition to 30-plus years in the classroom, had the kind of presence and personality to captivate anyone regardless of profession or background.

At this point for those unfamiliar or familiar with the term are probably beginning to wonder what FGM is or has to do with primary education.

Before answering that question, out on something of a tangent, consider that 60% of health-related aid in Africa is channeled into a disease that is responsible for less than 5% of deaths. In this school there were no AIDS/HIV posters, at least visible ones. The posters around this campus are pointed, graphic (in that they required no captions or interpretation) and relevant to a large sector of the female student population – female genital mutilation or female circumcision and child brides. I am lost for words to describe the passion with which our guide talked about combating these practices. Now a grandmother, she recounted in detail her own experiences as a young girl. Needless to say it wasn’t easy to listen to and some of the women in particular visibly blanched.

In addition to ensuring that every girl at the school has been educated about the dangers and long-term effects, she regularly attempts to dissuade parents, most often mothers, from requiring their daughters be circumcised. She, along with other elder women in the community, have formed a vigilante-like band of grandmothers to stop the practice. The kinds of argument they run into are mothers complaining that their daughters are obsessed with sex and as a consequence don’t concentrate on their chores, breaking glasses and the like. It was inspiring to see such progressive and activist passion at work.

Very progressive, yes; yet not ready to accept that some children are born naturally left-handed!