December 2024

I considered quitting the end FGM campaign.

The dreadful fact that December holiday cutting was happening… again, finding myself sandwiched between relentless campaigners and unresponsive organisations.

We were not prepared…

We had no funding…

We are busy wrapping up for Christmas holidays…

To me, those words read… “we don’t care”!

2024 was a gruelling year for frontline grassroots campaigners!

Hashtags like #StopDec2024FGM highlighted #StopKuriaMassFGM as campaigners in more than 13 Kenyan counties confirmed that FGM was happening in their regions.

The conflicts in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, among other global events had already forced major funding cuts. Big organisations had already began the process of relocating to the Global South to get closer to the frontline while others consolidated country offices to regional hubs.

Meanwhile, frontline organisations and campaigners found themselves asking:

How can we continue the work?…

Does it make sense to continue?

In the face of these challenges, we must ask ourselves:

Huge thanks and respect to all that spoke out and acted off-duty. The Whatsapp group is still open upon request from the members.

In today’s newsletter, we shall discuss three key words in line with #ZTD2025 theme

Listen to trailblazers on the ground making a difference. Learn how they communicate to attract support.

This weekly podcast will dive deep into their successes, challenges, lessons learnt and tips to improve your communications as a campaigner. We are looking! If you’d like to be a guest, or you’d like to refer someone, let me know via the Whatsapp button below.

The International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation theme this year is “Stepping up the pace: Strengthening alliances and building movements to end FGM.”

Below are three words that will be used a number of times this week. Agreeing on the meaning is key to how programs will be designed, and how we hold each other accountable.

A movement is a collective of individuals sharing common ideas, beliefs, or goals, working together towards a shared objective. The essence of a movement lies in unity and collaboration. Reflecting on our campaign, we must ask ourselves:

Successful movements are built on trust, transparency, and clear goals. Each member plays a vital role—be it in fundraising, advocacy, reporting, legislating, enforcing, or community engagement. It's crucial to recognize that no single entity owns a movement; rather, it thrives on the collective contributions of all involved.

An alliance signifies an agreement between independent groups to work together towards a common interest. The call to "strengthen alliances" emphasizes the importance of nurturing our existing partnerships. Consider:

Just as political alliances require care, our partnerships to end FGM need nurturing, respect, and transparency. By fostering these relationships, we can enhance our collective impact.

The term "frontline" has gained prominence in our discourse, alongside concepts like "cross-border," "male engagement," "survivor-led," and "religious leaders." Identifying who constitutes the frontline is essential for effective strategy and resource allocation. Frontline campaigners are those directly engaging with communities, implementing programs, and driving change at the grassroots level. Recognizing and supporting these individuals and groups is vital for our mission's success.

My point is…

As we step up the pace: Strengthening alliances and building movements to end FGM, let’s reflect deeply on the impact of words to the momentum we already have in the campaign: