What about boys in FGM-practicing societies?
Although attitudes of young men are changing where they are exposed to the outside world, the rules in circumcising cultures say that only circumcised girls are eligible to be their brides. Boys must be educated not to demand a wife that has undergone FGM.
Sabiny boys, living mostly in Kapchorwa and Bukwo Districts, overwhelmingly said in a recent survey that they would prefer to marry young women who had not been cut. This attitude may be due to the impact of longstanding anti-FGM campaigning in Kapchorwa/Bukwo, or because more boys go to school in the districts.
In the Pokot areas, however, there are very few schools. Because of the area's isolation, Pokot boys are less aware of the harmfulness of FGM and the reasons they should not require a wife who has been circumcised. The default for young men, who typically have no schooling or jobs, is to become a traditional warrior. Once the only way of life for young Pokot men, these armed boys today cause instability and insecurity throughout the region through raiding the cattle of other tribes, destroying villages, and producing internal refugees.
In 2005, the Member of Parliament for the Pokot (shown at center in the photo above) pointed out that if we did not educate boys, the Pokot girls who graduated from Peace High School without being circumcised would have no one to marry in their home communities. He asked us to begin sponsoring boys as well as girls. In the picture, Hon. Francis Kiyonga is shown with the Pokot girls and the first three boys he brought to study at Peace High School.
You can sponsor a young Pokot man at Peace High School for one year for $625, including tuition and school fees, board and room, uniforms, and basic medical care. Donate your sponsorship by clicking on the button below. If you prefer, you may download the membership form, then print it, indicating your choice of sponsorship, and mail it with your check to Godparents Association, Inc., 409 Waldemere Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06604-5633.
Sabiny boys, living mostly in Kapchorwa and Bukwo Districts, overwhelmingly said in a recent survey that they would prefer to marry young women who had not been cut. This attitude may be due to the impact of longstanding anti-FGM campaigning in Kapchorwa/Bukwo, or because more boys go to school in the districts.
In the Pokot areas, however, there are very few schools. Because of the area's isolation, Pokot boys are less aware of the harmfulness of FGM and the reasons they should not require a wife who has been circumcised. The default for young men, who typically have no schooling or jobs, is to become a traditional warrior. Once the only way of life for young Pokot men, these armed boys today cause instability and insecurity throughout the region through raiding the cattle of other tribes, destroying villages, and producing internal refugees.
In 2005, the Member of Parliament for the Pokot (shown at center in the photo above) pointed out that if we did not educate boys, the Pokot girls who graduated from Peace High School without being circumcised would have no one to marry in their home communities. He asked us to begin sponsoring boys as well as girls. In the picture, Hon. Francis Kiyonga is shown with the Pokot girls and the first three boys he brought to study at Peace High School.
You can sponsor a young Pokot man at Peace High School for one year for $625, including tuition and school fees, board and room, uniforms, and basic medical care. Donate your sponsorship by clicking on the button below. If you prefer, you may download the membership form, then print it, indicating your choice of sponsorship, and mail it with your check to Godparents Association, Inc., 409 Waldemere Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06604-5633.