About Partners of Change e.V. and Mosocho Enka Enyia in Kenya
Partners of Change e.V. was founded in 2023 and is based in Augsburg. It has been recognised as a charitable organisation. The chairperson is Elisabeth Merkl, from Augsburg. The association uses donations to support Mosocho Enka Enyia in the Mosocho area of the Kisii region in Kenya, with the aim of putting an end to female genital mutilation in the long term.
Mosocho Enka Enyia has been recognised by the Kenyan government as a community-based organisation. Its chairperson is Marcella Onsongo.
Communication between the teams in Kenya and the association members in Germany takes place via email and messaging services. Video conferences between Kenya and Germany complement this work. A project-based application process, the allocation of funds and reporting ensure that donations are distributed consistently.
Organisation
Mosocho Enka Enyia in the Kisii area is made up of full-time staff and volunteers. The team holds discussions with the girls’ parents, teachers, clan elders and other key figures. There are teams in the regions of Mosocho (now Kitutu Central), Marani and Kisii South. Full-time and volunteer staff work together at Mosocho Enka Enyia. Jones Maranga Makori is the lead project manager and the point of contact for the local teams. The full-time staff and the upkeep of the office and seminar building in Mosocho are funded by donations from the charity Partners of Change e.V.
Enka Enyia means ‘coming home’.
Commitment and determination
Appreciation for women
The Fulda-Mosocho Project, funded by Partners of Change e.V., focuses on prevention. Its aim is to provide comprehensive, long-term protection for girls at risk of female genital mutilation. The project is bringing about a broader social change that leads to gender equality.
Seminars
The seminars focus on the value of the body and, more broadly, on the latest scientific findings regarding sexual and reproductive health and the associated rights. Using drawings and models, the seminars provide factual knowledge about the female and male body. Participants explore the psychological and physical consequences of female genital mutilation. Insights are provided into the processes of change that occur when men recognise women as equals.
Decision-makers are involved
In addition to the core 18-month teacher training course, the project offers, on request, further long-term training courses for decision-makers, such as clan elders and mayors, as well as for former female circumcisers.
The team on site
The work on the ground is carried out by the permanent Kenyan trainers who are members of Mosocho Enka Enyia. In schools, at community gatherings and at events, there are public discussions on how girls can be specifically protected from FGM. During on-site visits to more remote areas, the teams talk to parents about the value of an intact body. Mosocho Enka Enyia runs seminars, now also in the neighbouring regions of Kisii South and Marani at their request.
Celebrations – Ceremonies marking admission to the community
The well-trained local staff organise celebrations for the girls: every December – the month in which circumcision used to take place – girls are formally welcomed into the community. A parent and an older girl sign the certificate. The certificate includes a statement from both parents confirming that their daughter may remain as she was born, to ensure that this is a lasting family decision.
Background: Lebkom e.V.
At the link below, you will find documentation of the successful Fulda-Mosocho project from 2002 to 2023. During this period, staff from Lebkom e.V. in Fulda ran the seminars, before the work was taken over by the Kenyans. In 2022, the core team and the members of Lebkom e.V. decided with a heavy heart to dissolve the association; it was removed from the register of associations in 2024. Partners of Change e.V. is now ensuring the continued funding of the Fulda-Mosocho project.
The website linked below is run by former staff members of the sponsoring association Lebkom e.V., who now act as consultants to Partners of Change.
Read more about Lebkom and the Fulda-Mosocho Project (only in German).
Film report on “ARD-Weltspiegel”
In 2008, the “ARD-Weltspiegel” programme filmed and broadcast a 7-minute report on the project:
“Fulda Mosocho Projekt erfolgreich gegen Genitalverstümmelung”
(Fulda Mosocho Project: A successful campaign against female genital mutilation)
Did you know?
