Nyamira and Kisii counties will partner to educate girls on the effects of Female Genital Mutilation through having talented girls join various centres in sporting activities.
The United Nations Population Fund representatives to Kenya Dr Ademola Olajide said the introduction of football clubs will have the girls enrich their talent and get away from the ‘cut’ which he said should be a thing of the past.
“As the United Nations Population Fund, we focus on three result areas, which are zero maternal death, zero prevention to family planning and zero gender-based violence, whereby FGM is a way by which there is inequality in our women in society,” Olajide said.
Olajide further said the young girls who have joined various football clubs from Nyamira County will be branded as the ambassadors to help amplify the message to the other regions where the practice of FGM is rampant.
Dr Olajide was addressing journalists in Nyamira town on Sunday when he donated sports kits to the Riverplates Starlets women football team that plays in division one in the country, saying the remaining part is to ensure the presidential ambition of having zero FGM cases in the country by next year.
Nominated MCA and team patron Renee Nyakerario said the girls have made Nyamira County proud and she called upon the county and national government to support them in their activities since they are the champions of the messages against FGM and also women empowerment champions in the county.
“As we have these young women play football, this is not the only activity they are undertaking, as they are also the champions against FGM which is common in our communities and they are also the brains behind various women empowerment programmes in our county Nyamira and hence we are proud of them,” she said.
Kisii County CEC for youth, youths culture and social services Duke Mainga said there is every need to support the program that is against the FGM so that the two counties can support the president in fighting FGM.
“Incoming up with such programmes as football and women empowerment programmes in our counties, we are sure the message on FGM can be spread in a clearer way than just using words. Such programmes are part of the rites that our societies demand our girls to go through but the girls can go through alternative rites of passage than FGM,” Mainga said.
By Darlington Mose
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