About the Godparents Association
Female genital mutilation has been opposed by international organizations and grassroots activists for more than 30 years, yet the practice continues and is even growing. In 1998 two friends, an American and a Ugandan, decided to try a new approach in combating female genital mutilation. Rather than simply trying to persuade communities to give up the practice, we focused on educating and empowering the young people who could bring about changes in their culture naturally, from within. To do this, we founded the Godparents Association.
The concept of Godparents is hundreds of years old. Traditionally, Godparents are given to a child at baptism. They stand beside the parents in raising the child and agree to take the place of parents who are unable to fulfill their responsibilities. We decided to apply this idea, without its specific religious context, so that individuals could directly and personally help girls escape FGM. Since parents in FGM-practicing societies typically will not pay school fees for daughters who refuse to undergo female genital mutilation, we "godparents" aim to take responsibility for the girls' education.
Who are we?
Our organization is completely volunteer-run. We pay no salaries and have no overhead. When visiting Uganda, attending meetings, or traveling to give testimony on behalf of FGM-asylum claimants, individuals pay their own expenses. All donated funds, except membership fees, go directly to Uganda to take care of the young people we sponsor.
Our sponsors pay school fees for one or more girls. Sponsors find us through word of mouth, following an Internet search, or after hearing one of our presentations for their club or school. Some sponsors have been with us since the beginning, in 1998, sharing the achievements of their "goddaughters" each year as the girls have courageously resisted FGM and moved through secondary school and finally graduated from university. Other girls have been sponsored a year at a time by clubs, schools, or service organizations who raised the sponsorship fee through special events. Some Godparents give donations to hold tutoring workshops for all the girls or buy books for the girls' school rather than sponsoring an individual girl. Most Godparents members and sponsors are from the United States, but a few live in Europe, Britain, or Australia.
As noted elsewhere, the Godparents Association is an independent, non-sectarian 501(c)(3)organization whose mission is to nurture and support young people at risk. We are grateful for the contributions and support of all individuals and organizations that wish to join in our efforts, without regard to their religious, political, or cultural background. Their participation, however, is strictly limited to their support of our stated purpose and does not necessarily imply any endorsement by the Godparents Association.
