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

In Tanzania about 5,000 girls aged between 10 and 16 were rounded up for mutilation in one region alone in two weeks and government admits they have failed in the fight against FGM! The truth is in East Africa FGM is still on the rise and it is performed in secret and at night! by Lucy Mashua

A group of school girls begging the Tanzania government to intervene against FGM, About 5,000 girls aged between 10 and 16 were rounded up for mutilation in Mara region alone from mid-last month, according to statistics provided by regional authorities, but a campaign spearheaded by the government failed to net the culprits. Female genital mutilation,is a crime in this country. Ms Ummy Mwalimu, the deputy minister for Community Development, Gender and Children, says the government’s efforts did not bear fruit because of the complex nature of the rite, which is deeply rooted in culture and traditional beliefs. Cracking down on the perpetrators was made even more difficult by a conspiracy between heads of clans and village leaders, who are paid for looking the other way as the traditionalists round up girls for the mutilation. In an interview with The Citizen this week, Ms Mwalimu said the only weapon at the disposal of the government was public education. She added: “We cannot end this problem only by the force of the law. Our greatest hope is to create awareness. We have been trying to engage traditional leaders who are said to encourage the practice.” The crackdown on female genital mutilation in Mara region during the season that started on December 15 last year did not materialise despite the "public pronouncements and promises of government officials", ( PEOPLE I KEEP TELLING YOU DO NOT BUY PROPAGANDA OF ORGANISATIONS CLAIMING VILLAGES DENOUNCING FGM IN AFRICA !!! FGM CONTINUES AND THE NGOs CONTINUE GETTING RECOGNIZED FOR NOTHING!!).Only two arrest were made if only in one village this genital genocide happened in two weeks how about the whole country? The government have resulted in asking the girls to escape on their own and when they do they will receive rewards when they do so. In the meantime, the number of camps that house those who escape will be boosted. Girls who escape could also be cited for “Hero-Girls Awards”, according to Ms Mwalimu. Mara region currently has only one refuge--Masanga camp--which houses 314 girls who fled to safety last month. The rescue campaign will also include setting up gender desks in police stations in four wards in Tarime district, chiefly to provide information and support victims and would-be targets. The desks are to be set up away from district police offices and closer to the people. FGM is now performed at night and in secret and more dangerous now as mutilators can't see well as they butcher causing more death and snitches are killed too!! I say Tanzania government arrest all mutilators charge them with 1st degree murders and with intent to kill enough with smooth talks and fake public denouncements and to African governments kick out all foreign Organisations who are lying about public denouncement and fake promises by mutilators are working!! because they get to get recognized for 0 work and funded while our women and girls suffer and die because FGM still continue and more riskier than ever!! And Western countries stop buying the propagandas that public denouncement / promise by my people works ooh my people can dance for free meals and handouts anytime and your !!! I am so pissed and pissed because just in december hundred of thousands were mutilated in Africa and this was not reported !! Ambassador Lucy Mashua . 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) Leading 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

When will UN,WHO,AMNEST INTERNATIONAL,UNFPA,UNICEF,INTERNATIONAL/NATIONAL POLICY MAKERS IN WESTERN COUNTRIES,INTL MEDIA and other sleeping giants give the correct statistics on FGM survivors and victims? This is annoying their fake statistics have never changed since two decades ago. remain 130 million and yet.....By Amb Lucy Mashua

It was over 20 years ago since WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION gave out the statistics of over 130 million FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION survivors in the world!. 2 million every year in Africa alone and a total of 3 million in the world, To this date organisations and media that should know better continue blindly or ignorantly publish the outdated figure to this day CAUSING MORE PEOPLE TO IGNORE THIS ATROCITY OF FEMALE GENITAL GENOCIDE AND DEATHS! Shame on you insensitive clicks!!. The truth is and kindly do the MATH if globally every year 3 million are subjected to FGM,8000 every day one girl every 11 seconds what is the total number? ooh don't forget those who bleed to death,those who die giving birth, those who die slowly due to complications (FGM side effects), Those who are killed running away from FGM, thousands every year who are forced to sex trafficking running from FGM. I SAY YOU DON'T CARE A SINGLE BIT ABOUT FGM OR WHO IT IS AFFECTING BECAUSE THERE IS NO LARGE PROFIT TIED TO FGM LIKE IN WAR,EBOLA ,HIV/AIDS,VACCINES, A CLASSY ATROCITY THAT WOULD GIVE YOU MORE PUBLICITY(WITH FGM WE TALK ABOUT MUTILATED VAGINAS ,BLEEDING AND ROTTEN),TERRORISM AND PRECIOUS MINERALS OR OIL! Shame on you for prying on the weak deriving fame and funds though the suffering of the voiceless. Your work is to silence the unawares by spreading propaganda and filthy lies! Here is what my sister LINDA MAY KALLESTEIN wrote a couple of days ago on her blog,(she did a great documentary in our village called the CUT six years ago).

http://lindamaykallestein.com/2012/10/15/a-story-i-wish-i-no-longer-had-to-tell/ "When I started working on the documentary “The Cut” , the World Health Organization estimated that about 120 million girls and women currently alive were mutilated. Had had their genitals sliced off. And that 2 million new girls joined their ranks every year. That was in 2006. 6 years have since passed. Do the math with me: 6 years times 2 million new victims equals 12 million additional girls and women. This means there has to be over 132 million girls and women who suffer from the aftermath of female genital mutilation. Well, maybe not quite that many. Some of the newer cut ones never made it. They died during or short time after the “procedure”. And I am guessing some of the original 120 million have also died during these years. A few of old age, any type of illness or accidents. However: most of those who have died have done so from late complications of their mutilation. Severe infections that just got out of hand. Childbirth from a too tight vagina and poor maternal healthcare combined. So let’s round it off to an even 130 million currently living victims. In 5 years time you can add another 10 million. Minus those who die, of course. I wish I never had to tell this story again, but as long as the explosive growth of 2 new million girls are added to the population of mutilated females I will continue to tell the story. It will continue to break my heart every time. Make me feel as helpless as I feel I am. Which of course is nothing, compared to the pain and suffering 130 million girls and women experience on a daily basis. Nothing compared to the terror 6000 thousand girls are faced with today. Who probably will not get much sleep tonight, just hoping that they will not bleed to death. Or even just hoping not to pee. Imagine the sting of urine in an open meat sore, where their genitals used to be?" Wake up sleeping,selfish ignorant giants time to update the correct statistics ,apologise, or else we will hold you accomplices to this atrocity and blame the death of thousands of girls and women on you!. I KNOW YOU WILL NEVER INVITE ME ON YOUR PANELS OR YOUR FIRST CLASS CONFERENCES AND I DON'T CARE, MY LOYALTY REMAINS TO MY FELLOW SURVIVORS AND VICTIMS.

Ambassador Lucy Mashua Assisting and advocating for U.S. refugees and women’s rightsGlobal Ambassador for Ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)Leading the Worldwide Campaign Against FGMLobbying for HR 2221:The Girl's Protection Act sponsored by Rep. Joseph Crowley and Rep. Mary Bono Mack. and S 1919 introduced by Senator Harry Reid,http://twitter.com/Mashuahttp://mashuavoiceforthevoiceless.blogspot.com/http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mashua-Against-FGM/225406701415