WHO INVITED A PRO-FGM FUAMBAI SIA AHMADU TO AN ANTI-FGM MEETING AT THE WHITE HOUSE 10/2/14? SHE INCITED SEXUAL CRIMES &CHILD ABUSE,MAPUTO PROTOCOL BLEACHED.

AN ENEMY TO ONE OF US IS AN ENEMY TO ALL.WHAT HURTS ONE OF US,HURTS US ALL,A HARM ON ONE OF US IS A THREAT TO ALL OF THE HUMANITY BECAUSE ONE IS FAR TOO MANY.BY LUCY S,MASHUA,SHARP OCT 6TH 2014. Dear supporters and people truly in the fight against FGM I would love to publicly inform you that I know first hand president Obama is against FGM please read the letter he personally wrote to me in 2007 before he was even the president,I know former secretary of state and the office of Ambassador Verveer Global women issues since 2009 I personally took care of my expenses all my trips to DC for all the meetings, My Rep Eddie Bernice Johnson has been very supportive in the fight against FGM, I walked bare footed in DC from one office to another asking members of congress and the senate to support a bill that will protect the over 280,000 US girls at risk. I requested the U.S. Department of State through the office of Ambassador Verveer Global Women Issues to observe INTERNATIONAL ZERO TOLERANCE DAY AGAINST FGM I never stopped asking and yes through my efforts it happened for the first time in the US in 2012. All documented below and my communication with the appropriate offices. The offices that i attest were very supportive and I still believe in them and I don't believe they would ever invite a PRO FGM ACTIVIST IN ANY OF THEIR MEETINGS! So now I am receiving threats as to why I am questioning who could have invited a very well known PRO-FGM AND GAVE HER THE FLOOR TO INCITE CHILD ABUSE,BREAK THE INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS LAW (MAPUTO PROTOCOL) IN THE WHITE HOUSE? A MEETING THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO DISCUSS WAYS OF PROTECTING OVER 280,000 US GIRLS AT RISK!! WHO IS ENDANGERING THE LIVES OF SURVIVORS AND THOSE AT RISK IN THE US? FUAMBAI IS A SELF CONFESSED CHILD ABUSER SHE TOOK HER 6 YEARS OLD SISTER FROM THE US TO BE MUTILATED! WHO IS FUNDING HER?AND WHO IS FUNDING THE ONES INVITED HER? it could be one of the following may be a/an group,individual,friend,news paper/media,politician,a sister,a brother,a pastor,an Imam,a movement,lobbyist,businessman/woman,committee. NOW AM RECEIVING THREATS AND PEOPLE ASSOCIATED WITH ME FOR QUESTIONING IMPUNITY? IT IS SIMPLE WHO INVITED A PROUD PRO FGM/MUTILATOR ACTIVIST TO AN ANTI-FGM MEETING OCTOBER THE 2ND IN THE WHITE HOUSE? CLEARLY THEY HAVE NO GOOD INTENTIONS THEY SNEAKED A KNOWN CRIMINAL WHO HAVE COMMITTED AND STILL INCITES CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY ENDANGERING THE LIVES OF OVER 280,000 US GIRLS AT RISK. WELL HELP ME SHOUT AND LETS SPREAD THIS LIKE FIRE AS WE HAVE DONE BEFORE OUR LOYALTY REMAINS WITH THE VICTIMS(DEAD BECAUSE OF FGM),SURVIVORS AND TRUE ACTIVISTS TO THE CAUSE. I AM SORRY IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED THREATENING EMAILS AND CALLS BECAUSE YOU SIMPLY KNOW ME.AM SURE THE GOVERNMENT WILL PROTECT US AND DEAL WITH THE CRIMINALS ACCORDING TO THE LAW I BELIEVE IN AMERICA AND AMERICANS.AM GOING TO CALL The White House,my Governor Rick Perry, my Senator Ted Cruz my Rep and my friend Eddie Bernice Johnson ,and report all possible threats to the authorities. Never ever be afraid to stand up against any form of impunity! AN ENEMY TO ONE OF US IS AN ENEMY TO ALL.WHAT HURTS ONE OF US,HURTS US ALL,A HARM ON ONE OF US IS A THREAT TO ALL OF THE HUMANITY BECAUSE ONE IS FAR TOO MANY.BY LUCY S,MASHUA,SHARP OCT 6TH 2014.

London Members of Parliament home affairs committee takes a stand against FGM and girl's at risk protection,early detection! Yes! Compiled reports by Standard London,Jacqueline Dale Shaw-Mashua Against FGM,Hilary Burrage-No FGMBook,and Amb Lucy Mashua

#CATCHTHISFGMITSUCKSTOBEYOU!-- Doctors, teachers and other public workers were today told that 'cultural sensitivities' must no longer obstruct the fight against female genital mutilation as MPs called for a national campaign to stamp out the practice. The Home Affairs Select Committee said that 'misplaced concerns' about challenging traditional practices within some ethnic communities were 'one of the main reason' why girls living in Britain were still suffering mutilation. The warnings came in a report on the scale of FGM, which calls for a national action plan and the regular medical examination of girls at 'high risk'. Changes in the law would include the introduction of 'FGM protection orders' and a legal duty for doctors to report mutilation. "FGM is not cultural, it is criminal; it is not tribal, it is torture; it is not an initiation but inhumane. Those who conduct this abuse, or silently standy by whilst it occurs, should and will be relentlessly pursued with the full force of the law"

My friend Member of Parliament Karl Turner the fight against FGM brought us together,He is one hell of a good person,I even asked him to meet with some of my UK partners of our GLOBAL FGM STATEMENT and he said "sure Mashua".Thank you chairman Keith Vaz MP,Mp Turner and all the MPs in home affairs office.Thank you for stamping the atrocious beast down! The report that was published July 3rd by House of Commons Home Affairs Committee. The Committee chaired by Keith Vaz MP, reflects much of what we (Honorary members of Global statement on FGM) proposed click here to view http://statementonfgm.com/2013/08/28/feminist-statement-on-naming-and-abolition-of-female-genital-mutilation/ – compulsory PSHE, proper training for concerned practitioners, more support for community activists. The British Government’s FGM agenda has moved on, as activists globally and domestically have campaigned relentlessly for action to eradicate what the Home Affairs Committee (Vaz) Report tells us, even on conservative estimates, is probably ‘one of the most prevalent forms of severe child abuse in the UK‘ [para 14]. There is much in the Report to commend it. Amongst other measures the cross-party Committee affirms that FGM is embedded in patriarchy and calls for a national action plan – perhaps like that emerging in 2011? – to address this criminal gender-based violence and extreme form of child abuse [8]; proposes some amendment of the law to make prosecution easier [97] (mainly, to include people who are not permanently resident) chastises the police [76] for failing to make significant efforts to apprehend offenders – whether as principals or as accessories after the fact (but more could be said about the need for a diverse police force which understands and can read the signs from different communities); suggests that FGM victims should be given press and broadcast anonymity [36]; recommends the Multi-Agency Practice Guidelines are updated and placed on a statutory footing [45] (the Committee says they require active promotion, and queries why the General Practitioners are not signatories [44]); recognises the urgent need for more training of front-line professionals and practitioners [44] across the health, education and social services (though it fails to say by whom); calls for much more accurate information on where [11] and on how many girls and women FGM is carried out [12] (some systematic data collection has just been instigated); would like to see more personal and health – including psychological and psychiatric [107] – FGM care provision across the nation [106], as well as dedicated FGM shelters [110]; proposes clarification of the status of re-infibulation [88] and genital cosmetic surgery [89]; praises the third and voluntary sectors, and individual campaigners, for their steadfast work to raise awareness of FGM and says they need much more resourcing [104] (albeit not how this will be made available); proposes that all antenatal booking interviews include a question on the mother’s FGM status [56] and that any perceived risk of FGM be entered in baby girls’ Personal Child Health Record (Red Books) as well as alerting safeguarding authorities [57] (but the Committee doesn’t propose any single route for this alert); acknowledges the case for some enabling of medical examination when girls are thought to be, or to have been, at risk [37] (but with typical British reticence rejects routine examination of all small children such as in France, where many prosecutions have been secured – and where paediatric health checks are the norm); commends the Secretary of State for Education for his recent letter to schools on FGM (and suggests re-ending it, with a link to funding to encourage all recipients to read it) [66]; and … crucially, puts aside Ministerial reservations [63] to recommend that personal, social and health education (PSHE) must at last become part of the compulsory curriculum, and that all headteachers and child protection officers must have FGM and forced marriage safeguarding training, to be disseminated to staff before the end of 2014 [66]. The recommendation for compulsory PSHE, including information on FGM in high-prevalence areas [67] is a big breakthrough which, if it happens, will be widely celebrated by everyone with an informed view.

Thank you Hilary Burrage for candid informative report. UK way to lead this fight against FGM and protecting British girls.

As long as there is a law that bans FGM in Kenya the director of public prosecution in Kenya (DPP) Sir Keriakor Tobiko will not give in to the demands of some Kenyan members of parliament, government officials(chiefs) and Maasai women community leaders who are Pro-FGM excusing this atrocity as culture!By Ambassador Lucy Mashua Sharp

Despite resistance to ending FGM, the DPP Mr Tobiko has pledged to pursue the issue. I have no powers to abrogate legislation that has been enacted by parliament. For as long as that legislation is there, I will enforce it."DPP said While indicating that he would not waver on the issue! DPP and I come from the Maasai community and we know the road to end FGM is a bumpy ride and dangerous,I have been in talks with Mr Tobiko back and fourth he is easily accessible and a very humble straight forward person,We are brainstorming together week days and sometimes over the weekend as it happens and we are teaming up to take this fight to the next level.But first we start with our own community as charity begins at home. After many of you international Anti-FGM activists flooded my emails with question and on our ANTI-FGM facebook pages addressing your disappointment over the Pro-FGM demonstrations with over 2000 women and men community members from the Maasai demanding decriminalization of FGM in Kajiado.On June 12 to protest against a 2011 law specifically banning FGM.It was the second such demonstration held in the town this month.Well its not going to happen FGM is recognized as a human-right violation in the universal declaration on human-rights so as the global ambassador against FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION I argue Kenyan government to join DPP a government official who believes in human-rights a man who is passionately dedicated to fight this good fight Mr Tobiko is the first DIRECTOR OF PROSECUTION in Africa to appoint Anti-FGM officers in all the counties to fight and educate against the FGM,Anti-FGM activists in Kenya and I to restore the dignity of womanhood and stopping the robbing of childhood,It's torture,it's deadly,it's painful and it is a slow death sentence of women reproductive system. FGM is also illegal under the 2001 Children's Act, and a new bill on domestic violence due to be tabled in parliament is to introduce stiffer penalties for those who practice it. Do you think this is right? in the Maasai community do you know how many child brides and women bleed to death everyday giving birth and instant mutilation? Due to lack of proper and sufficient medical attention,Fistula cases are 2 out of 5 Maasai women is this worth it? Come on its not a curse it's called FGM complications a darkness that haunts a woman forever,Even when you get reconstructive surgery you never gain what was robbed from you!Is this fair? 2 out of 20 women suffer vagina keloids,HERE ARE MYTHS AND LIES FROM THE PIT OF HELL JUSTIFYING FGM.Maasai community in Kajiado who refuse to give up FGM views.Baby Malaika is only one year old but her mother has already decided that she will undergo the procedure,Baby Malaika's mother said her other four daughters faced the FGM after they reached the age of ten. She does not understand why FGM is illegal given the cultural belief that it averts a curse on the wider family. "If a girl is not mutilated,it is a curse," she said. "Her parents, her sisters and her brothers will die early. So if a girl refuses to be mutilated, she is cursing her family and she is an enemy and so are the anti-FGM activists. "These things are real, we have seen them happen. There is a man in this village who died after his unmutilated daughter became pregnant." Last month, a girl died in Kajiado after she underwent FGM and bled to death. Malaika's mother said the girl died because she was already cursed.(This doesn't make sense so you can undergo FGM and still remain cursed? what a myth)oooh wait a minute here comes an "explanation" and "justification" for the 1st degree MURDER!. "The curse caused the death of the girl. One of her parents wanted her to be mutilated and the other parent was opposed to it. That was already a curse. She died because of the disagreement. No one ever died because of FGM," Maliaka's mother said.

Another problem is that women who have not undergone FGM cannot be assisted during childbirth because the Maasai believe it is a curse to touch the blood of a female who has not been mutilated. Ben Seiya took part in the June 12 demonstration and also attended mediation talks with government representatives who travelled to Kajiado to listen to the protesters' concerns. He believes the practice will end one day, but he is not yet prepared to abandon his belief in it. "My wife is mutilated, and if I marry a second wife she has to be mutilated,"Said Ben. "If she is not mutilated when she is giving birth, no woman will help her as they cannot touch her blood. Also, you know that I will be belittled if I have a woman who is unmutilated for a wife." "

This one here is that child bride an FGM survivor giving birth imagine the unimaginable,With villages far away from nearest medical clinic and no doctor to take this child to an emergency C-section both the baby and the child mama will die.

The above picture shows an a stitched up vagina with a small hole for urine only to be reopened as soon as the first night as a child bride. Really any government that will be inhuman enough to allow such torturous treatment masking as culture to happen to her children they should face crimes against humanity! Any government official that supports this atrocity should be fired!In Kenya, chiefs are low-level administrators appointed as part of policing mechanisms to help maintain order in their local area. The June protests followed recent cases where chiefs have been charged with complicity in FGM in their own communities. Lekishon Moriaso, a chief serving in Kenya's Narok South District, appeared in court in April after his two daughters underwent FGM. He was charged with aiding the operation and with knowingly allowing it to take place in his home. Meanwhile, Joshua Kaaka, a chief in Kajiado, is facing charges of failing to report acts of FGM carried out against several girls in his area. DPP told me the two cases are still in court. Unconfirmed news is the chief who were charged by the prosecutor on FGM charges where even a girl bled to death lead and organised the PRO-FGM demonstration on June 12. When the Kenyan parliament debated the issue on June 17, members from some areas where FGM remains widespread called for the ban to be lifted. Jimmy Angwenyi, the member for Kitutu Chache North, told parliament that FGM was an important cultural institution and those practicing it should not face prosecution. "I wonder why this parliament wants to criminalise people's culture," he said. "The Kisii culture is that we must mutilate our girls." The member of parliament for Nyamira, Alice Chae, an ethnic Kisii who is a survivor of FGM, rounded on Angwenyi. "I wish he was a woman like me who underwent it [FGM] and is surviving," she said. "It is wrong, it is pathetic, and it is primitive."! I have said so many times that politicians and some members of parliament in Kenya value their political career over the lives of their constituents, They would rather bite their tongue not to say anything so that they don't lose the bloody votes,and some will promote FGM to please the mutilators for the bloody votes.I ask president Uhuru Kenyatta,1st Lady of Kenya,and 2nd Lady Mrs Ruto to not allow any pussy footing around dangerous cultures that destablise the future of women and children,Any culture that goes against the universal declaration of human-rights should be stopped asap!DPP sir Tobiko, ANTI-FGM activists on the ground, The newly appointed ANTI-FGM officers in the counties level by the office of director of prosecution and I the global ambassador for fighting against Female Genital Mutilation Lucy Mashua Sharp we will come up with educational guidelines to teach communities involved the true danger behind FGM and search for permanent solutions. I salute you director of public prosecution of Kenya Sir Keriakor Tobiko you have gone places in the fight against FGM where no one else have dared go,you are going against our community taboos and risking it all for the women and children of Kenya, I give you my word I will work with you side by side from the diaspora as technology has made it easier for real time results, as my fellow UK activist Hillary titled our statement on FGM "FIGHTING FGM FROM OUR KEY BOARD" am going to add "FIGHTING FGM FROM OUR SMART PHONES"

Ambassador Lucy Mashua Sharp President of Mashua's voice for the voiceless International Assisting refugees in the US and representation in advocasy The Global Ambassador for fighting Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and standing up for Women’s Rights. And the Chairperson of a worldwide campaign against FGM. http://twitter.com/Mashua http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mashua-Against-FGM/225406701415

Trial for the murder of the 13 years old Sohair al-Bata in Egypt is on, but the charges are ridiculous they are blaming allergic reaction and the dead girl excessive genital skin!! This is insulting and a big blow to FGM survivors and true FGM activists!and all those that have died from FGM. Lucy Mashua Sharp

We all remember about the sad story I shared with last year about 13 years old Sohair al-Bata who bled to death in Egypt now the doctor is in trial.The doctor will stand trial on Thursday on charges of female genital mutilation following the death of a 13-year-old girl who underwent FGM last June, marking the first prosecution since the practice was banned in Egypt. Sohair al-Bata'a died in June 2013 at Raslan Halawa's clinic. "The story unfolded when the victim's father filed a complaint, accusing the doctor of killing his daughter after performing an FGM operation," said Mona Amin, the general coordinator of National Population Council's national project for banning FGM. Her father will also stand trial for taking her to undergo the operation. During investigation, the father retracted from his initial police report statements accusing the doctor, instead, he claimed his daughter was suffering from pelvic pain, and was diagnosed of having "excess" skin that had to be removed through a doctor. Halawa has denied carrying out FGM. Instead, he stated that the victim suffered from "excess" skin which he had removed by cauterization. He insisted that she died because of an allergic reaction to the anesthetic medication. The coroner, assigned by the Public Prosecution, held the doctor responsible for failing to test El-Batea for allergic reactions. However, he reported that medical intervention to remove "excess" skin was "right". The punishment for performing FGM is a prison sentence ranging from three months to two years or a fine of 5,000 Egyptian pounds. The investigation was pushed for by the National Population Council (NPC) last November, which demanded establishing a committee of forensic experts to verify the real cause of death, stated Amin. Based on the results of the investigation, the doctor was charged with wrongful death. He was also charged, along with the father, with performing FGM and referred to trial. At least 91 percent of Egyptian females in the age group 15-49 have undergone FGM, according to the 2008 census. Although doctors now perform 70 percent of these operations, traditional midwives and health barbers usually carried out the practice.

RIP baby girl no matter what your dad say or the doctor that killed you, You didn't deserve to die it was unnecessary,uncalled for,unkind,cruel,evil and atrocious! Ambassador Lucy Mashua Sharp Assisting and advocating for U.S. refugees and women’s rights Global Ambassador for Ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Leading the Worldwide Campaign Against FGM Lobbying for HR 2221:The Girl's Protection Act sponsored by Rep. Joseph Crowley and Rep. Mary Bono Mack. http://twitter.com/Mashua http://mashuavoiceforthevo​iceless.blogspot.com/ http://www.facebook.com/pa​ges/Mashua-Against-FGM/225​406701415

UK never cease to amuse me!:)Immigrants 'should sign FGM declaration before entering UK'

Campaigners called for immigrants to be required to sign a declaration promising not to subject their daughters to genital mutilation before being allowed into Britain. Leading figures in the fight against FGM called for a special pledge to be brought in to ensure everybody is clear that the practice is against the law. London MEP Marina Yannakoudakis said she will raise the issue with the government and called for more research to identify other countries that have introduced declarations. The idea of an FGM declaration was raised at a meeting of prominent London campaigners, organised by Ms Yannakoudakis to give their views on various anti-FGM initiatives. She said: “As people choose to move to Britain or elsewhere in Europe, it seems relevant to remind them of the social standards that apply here. “That should include an acceptance that certain practices are not only unacceptable but illegal. This proposal will form part of a package of recommendations which I plan to send to the UK Government and EU Commission.” GREAT IDEA ,ACTUALLY AWESOME.I SUPPORT IT 100% Ambassador Lucy S. Mashua, President of Mashua Voice for the Voiceless, International Assisting and advocating for U.S. refugees and women’s rights Global Ambassador for Ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Support in lobbying for HR 2221: The Girl's Protection Act sponsored by Rep. Joseph Crowley and Rep. Mary Bono Mack. http://twitter.com/Mashua http://mashuavoiceforthevoiceless.blogspot.com/ http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mashua-Against-FGM/225406701415

FGM BLOOD ON THE FLOOR AND RAPE IN BED, THE PRICE OF FGM AND CHILD BRIDE.At 13 ,mutilated,married,pregnant and lost the baby due to Fistula caused by FGM and 5 reconstructive surgeries By Ambassador Lucy Mashua Sharp ,courtesy of Daily nation Kenya.

YES THIS CHILD BY THE TIME SHE WAS 13 YEARS OLD,SHE HAD BEEN MUTILATED, BECAME PREGNANT,LOST THE BABY DUE TO FISTULA(STILL BIRTH,DIVORCED.SHE SAYS SHE COULD NOT HOLD OR CONTROL URINE OR BOWEL MOVEMENT AND HAD NO IDEA THAT IT WAS FGM COMPLICATION, THE HUSBAND FORCED HER TO BE MUTILATED. FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION have been labelled “culture” and “tradition” by its proponents, dressed up to look and sound nice — sort of like painting the walls of a prison — but deep within it remains, at least to me, the lowest that a people can stoop. Hello dear reader. My name is Irene Chelegat. I am aged 20 and the story I want to tell you is based on my personal experiences, first, as a woman and, second, as a wife. It is a story that I hope will change the lives of my peers for the better, a story that I have been yearning to tell for a long time. I come from Kapenguria, a timid dusty town 430 kilometres to the north-west of Nairobi. I call the town timid because, over the years, I have watched it cow into submission as the scorching sun battles for supremacy with dry winds that lick life out of anything that stands in their way. And the hills that surround my little town have for centuries stood and watched in disturbing muteness, like witnesses to a crime, as the place loses the battle with the elements. Beneath that timidity, however, lies something more sinister and heart-wrenching. And I am the very personification of the effects of that sinister monster. It has been labelled “culture” and “tradition” by its proponents, dressed up to look and sound nice — sort of like painting the walls of a prison — but deep within it remains, at least to me, the lowest that a people can stoop. My reasons for that evaluation are four: One, I was 13 when I got married; two, I was 13 when I was mutilated; three, I was 13 when I lost my baby through obstructed labour; and, four, I was 13 when I was divorced. Yes, by the time the average Kenyan girl of my age was preparing for her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examination, I had been married and divorced, and left with scars that I have struggled with ever since. It is easy, then, to see why I may sound a little bitter about the timidity of Kapenguria. It all began in 2007, when I was a Standard Four pupil at Chepararia Primary School. I had just entered teenage and was beginning to notice changes in my body when a 24-year-old man asked me to be his girlfriend. He had pursued me for a while, but since I was in school most of the time, we could only meet during the holidays, when he would visit and bring me gifts. After a short while, I was hooked. When we eventually got intimate, I thought it was part of the normal friendship between boys and girls. After all, other girls reported having similar experiences during the holidays. After some time, however, I noticed I was growing round and plump, but I did not think much of it. It was only after I heard my boyfriend telling his friends that I was pregnant that I realised what was happening. Then aged 13, I had no idea what being pregnant was, but at least I now understood why my skin was dry, why I felt sleepy in the afternoons and had bouts of nausea. Most importantly, I understood that I was not sick, but that a baby was growing inside me. Consequently, I dropped out of school and moved in with my boyfriend. He did not have a steady job but managed to provide for us. I did not go for any antenatal visits, but towards the eighth month, he took me to a clinic in a place called Seger. The doctor insisted that I visit the clinic daily for check-ups, but I never went back. My boyfriend, now pressured by the turn of events, said he would marry me, but on condition that I agreed to be mutilated. You see, my community considers un-mutilated girls children, and therefore does allow children to give birth to children. So, to be a woman and a mother, I had to undergo FGM. I had been told about the pain involved, but my boyfriend insisted it was the only ticket to marriage. Since I did not want to shame my husband-to-be or my family, I agreed to undergo the procedure. Turns out the man had done his homework well and knew not only who would mutilate me, but how much we would have to pay for the procedure as well. Mutilation is a two-day affair here. The first day is marked by traditional dances and rituals. In the early morning cold, we sang traditional folk songs as red ochre was applied on our faces. There were older women around to take us through the steps of becoming a woman. Then the 81 of us made a timid file into a hut. From the mood and the terse talks, you could tell that it was a solemn occasion. Most of my fellow initiates were between 18 and 19 years. I was among the youngest, but that did not matter since we would all walk out as women. Two of the initiates were as heavily pregnant as I was. I had the privilege, or so I thought, of being the first under the knife. The circumciser, an old woman, had a razor in one hand and a spear in the other. The spear, we had been warned, was to stab anyone who showed any fear during the procedure. She charged Sh500 for the honour. She came up to me, her eyes glistening with excitement, pulled my face close to hers and asked if I had willingly chosen this path. Of course I had not, I wanted to tell her, but there was no backing out now. My marriage, honour and respect were at stake, and so I nodded my response. I knew what was expected of me at this point, so I immediately lay on my back and arched my legs. She smeared some warm ash on me and the next minute... I felt as if ants were clawing and sawing and pinching their way up my back. Chop. Chop. Slice. Each mutilation accompanied by such searing pain that I can’t put it into words. Rivulets of blood dripped down my thighs to the ground, but at least I was inching closer to being a woman. This was worth every drop of blood, right? When she was done, she bound my legs at the ankles and thighs with a sisal rope. As I continued bleeding, some women lifted me and placed me on the dewy grass outside the hut. I was numb from the pain, but that was just day one. The next day she would work on what was left of my “childish” parts. I could not move or walk or go to the toilet as the pain wracked my body. The second mutilation was even worse. The pain felt like a thousand daggers on my flesh. She cut everything out and stitched it all up again. I looked and felt like — how do I put this — a knee. All flat. No bumps. Nothing there. It was all gone. Unlike others, my wound took time to heal and when it did three weeks later, there was barely any opening, making urinating extremely painful for me. Then, as fate would have it, I went into labour shortly after the wound healed. The labour brought with it a fresh bout of pain that was beyond what I had imagined. My waters just broke unexpectedly, and for hours I did not go to the hospital. Eventually, my husband took me back to the clinic in Seger, where they said there was no passage for the baby, so I had to undergo an emergency operation. I was transferred to Ortum Mission hospital, north of Kitale, where they could save my life and, hopefully, that of my child. I was tired and weak, and each contraction took a little life out of me. By the time doctors performed a Caesarian Section on me, the baby had already died, possibly from the exhaustion. To make matters worse, when I came to, I realised I could not contain my urine or stool. I panicked and asked the doctor what was happening: “You are torn,” he replied, meaning I had developed a condition known as fistula. I was in hospital for six months. My husband one day came to visit me with a flask of tea. He offered me a cup and when I drank it, I wet my bed almost immediately. Ignorant of what fistula is, he said I was cursed and broke the news that he was leaving me for greener pastures. He accused me of being unfaithful and called some old men who told me that I would recover if I named the men I had cheated on my husband with. HUSBAND REMARRIED And so, while I was still aged 13, my husband remarried. He now has two wives, both of them my age mates. And, most importantly, mutilated. I was alone and destitute when my maternal aunt, who had been taking care of me since my mum died in 2004, came for me — here is where I get to tell you that I do not know my biological father. At home, I could not leave the house because of the stench I was releasing. I was scared of eating or drinking anything. For six years I endured shame, and my self-esteem hit rock bottom. Then one day I went back to Ortum Hospital for assistance and was referred to Moi Referral and Teaching Hospital in Eldoret. It was here that I met officers of the Sentinelles, a programme in West Pokot that intervenes in matters of FGM and early marriages, and which later introduced me to the African Medical and Research Foundation (Amref). During my stay at Moi Referral I discovered that my case was not unique. I saw hundreds of women with fistula. In fact, some cases were worse than mine. I was not cursed, after all! I underwent five reconstructive surgeries to repair the damage. It is now six months since my last operation in October last year and I am healed. My life is repaired, literally. But many other girls follow in my footsteps. My people should know that by subjecting their daughters and sisters to mutilation, they are not making them full women, but instead churning out broken women who believe they are cursed and useless. Female Genital Mutilation gives women a life of pain, misery and fistula, and I hope the government, through the Anti-FGM board led by Linah Jebii Kilimo, will go to the heart of timid Kapenguria and stop mutilation. Ambassador Lucy S. Mashua, President of Mashua Voice for the Voiceless, International Assisting and advocating for U.S. refugees and women’s rights Global Ambassador for Ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Support in lobbying for HR 2221: The Girl's Protection Act sponsored by Rep. Joseph Crowley and Rep. Mary Bono Mack. http://twitter.com/Mashua http://mashuavoiceforthevoiceless.blogspot.com/ http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mashua-Against-FGM/225406701415