During the week leading up to the alternative ceremony on 14 December, the girls have been given lessons about their future roles as women, parents and adults in the community (personal health, reproduction, hygiene, communication skills, self -esteem and how to deal with peer pressure). The girls have also been taught about the importance of education, and have been encouraged to work hard in school in order to fulfil their dreams for the future, and to assist their community to develop.
The alternative rite of passage ceremony culminates the end of a three year long cooperation project between the Norwegian Embassy and the organisation “Maasai Education Discovery” (MED) based in Narok. The project has been carried out in three villages, namely Iltumtum, Oletukat and Enaramatishoreki. As from October 2005, MED supported by the Norwegian Embassy, began an outreach program with the aim of increasing the awareness of the dangers associated with FGM among the Maasai community. The goal has been to reduce the number of girls forced to undergo FGM and prevent early marriages. MED addressed the project in three phases:
First, by assessing the levels of awareness and attitudes towards sexual and reproductive health, female circumcision and traditional customs,
secondly by carrying out an outreach and training programme aimed at educating the communities about the dangers associated with FGM, and
finally by creating sustainable local institutions and practices, including the establishment of this alternative rite of passage.
Throughout the programme, emphasis has been put on including and involving all parts of the community. The decision to abandon FGM must come from the community itself - it must reflect a collective choice. For this reason, MED has been working with parents, relatives, community leaders, chiefs and elders. The results so far have been encouraging, as they show that attitudes are slowly changing.
From January 2008, the Norwegian Embassy and MED will enter into a new phase of our cooperation. Norway will be supporting the 115 girls who have chosen the alternative rite of passage with scholarships for a period of three years. This will enable the girls to complete their primary education. It will also involve a mentoring programme aimed at supporting the girls academically and morally - helping the girls make better decisions about their future.