As a mentee under the “Catalysing a new generation of activists to challenge FGM, Child and forced marriage” project funded by WomanKind, 13 year old Charity Nait is the voice of revolution when it comes to advocating against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) within her village of Korosi in Kween district. For the past one year through the mentorship sessions, Charity has learned more about FGM, how to challenge child marriage, her rights, the referral pathways and has shared this information with peers and community members.
“Now I know that I have a right to an education and to medical care. And I have more confidence,” Charity confidently shared. “When I meet women and men, even at the well, they tell me what girls in their villages have gone through because they know I am an FGM Champion.” Charity believes everyone should know about the dangers of FGM and early forced marriage.
“Our mentors came up with the idea of us acting out plays and lots of parents from school came. I play the role of the child who refused to get circumcised. I have a friend called Joy and her parents were telling her to get married but after they watched the play they changed their mind and now she is in school.”
Besides the use of drama for sensitization, NAWOU integrates mentee participation by organizing radio talk show programs to engage the community and Charity has been able to participate in two of these shows. Radio talk shows have played an important role in delivering relevant information directly on FGM and early child marriage in Kween and Kapchorwa district due to their wide reach and it being the most preferred mass communication tool.
“At the moment I don’t want to get married because my friends who are married suffer a lot with poverty, disease and ignorance. I want to finish school and get a job before I get married. I have always wanted to be a lawyer and I used to think that was not possible. Now I see that it is. I want to fight for children’s rights so if a child comes to me and tells me that their parents are forcing them to get married I can intervene because I am a lawyer.”
Charity is an anti-Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) campaigner in Kween district where she lives with her parents and six brothers and sisters.
