Since 2012, Pastoralist Child Foundation is focused on ending female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced early marriage in Samburu and the Maasai Mara, Kenya. By rejecting harmful practices, promoting positive social norms, and working directly with child protection services, the organization has protected more than 25,000 girls from female genital mutilation.
In Samburu, 67 percent of girls undergo FGM between the ages of 13 and 19. Beyond the severe physical, mental, and psychosocial consequences, FGM is closely linked to child marriage and teenage pregnancy. Early marriage and pregnancy often forces girls out of school, stripping them of future employment opportunities, economic independence, and the ability to make informed life choices.
With support from the Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund, Pastoralist Child Foundation will support girls through mentorship and life skills programming, alongside training in advocacy against harmful practices such as FGM and child marriage. The mentorship model promotes positive youth development, informed and healthy decision-making, resilience, and leadership, empowering girls to become agents of change within their own communities.
The project is expected to reach 4,000 adolescent girls and 5,000 community members. Through this program, girls will learn about their rights as well as the concrete steps they can take to drive change in their own community. By strengthening girls’ agency and leadership, this project aims to equip a generation of young women who are actively shaping their own futures.
To learn more about Pastoralist Child Foundation, please visit the organization’s website and social media pages:
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