Problem

Female genital mutilation (FGM), often referred to as 'female circumcision', comprises all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia. Once girls undergo FGM, they are often married and their education ends.

The Gift

Gift provides an alternative rite of passage for one Maasai girl who refuses to submit to FGM. $100 allows a girl to spend a month at V-Day Safe House for Girls in Narok, Kenya. In 2002, V-Day helped found Safe House to provide a safe haven for Maasai girls. The girls live at Safe House while they complete alternative rite of passage which reflects traditional Maasai culture and teachings. The girls develop life skills, preparing them to return to their villages and be accepted as women without the pain and life-long suffering of FGM. Expanding educational opportunities for African girls is an important component of ending the practice of FGM. After a girl completes the alternative rite of passage, the V-Day Safe House for the Girls provides tuition and books to help her stay in school and avoid early marriage.