In late November/early December, we, the members of Partners of Change e.V., travelled to Kenya at our own expense to see for ourselves the progress of the Fulda-Mosocho project in south-west Kenya. The highlight of the trip was the celebrations marking the welcome of the girls who had survived into the community. We were able to take part in the celebrations in Riaiteba and Bigege on 2 and 3 December.
21 November 2024
Flight from Frankfurt to Nairobi
Accommodation at the Zarita Boutique Hotel. We would never have found our way there if we hadn’t been picked up from the hotel. We went from one maze to the next, in the dark, until we arrived at ‘Blessed Settlers Yard’ and one gate after another opened. We were greeted by a strelitzia, the traveller’s tree.
We are, from right to left: Elisabeth Merkl (Chair of Partners of Change), Roswitha Hofmann, Konny Schneider, Elzbieta Wasserfurth, Beate Althauser and Silke Sewing (report).
22 November 2024
Nairobi
First, we visited the Karen Blixen Museum in the Karen district. That’s where Out of Africa was filmed. A change of pace: in the afternoon, we visited the city centre of Nairobi – Uptown and Downtown, including the Nairobi River – with some former street children.
By the roadside …
… of the “Northern Route” from Nairobi to Kisii, built by the Chinese, monkeys beg for food. We also saw zebras.
At Nakura-See …
… there were no flamingos to be seen at the time, but there were guinea fowl and antelopes.
Rift Valley, …
… also known as the “Great Rift Valley”. This is where East Africa will eventually separate from the rest of the continent.
24 November 2024
Lencers Farm
Lencer is a household name among the Yala women. She set up a women’s group near Nyamira, which provided clean water and a medical clinic. Lencer is married and has six sons, all of whom have university degrees. She achieved this through hard work in the fields.
We were allowed to stay on their property for several nights. They now have electricity. The water comes from black rain barrels and is incredibly soft. They prepared delicious meals for us using everything their field had to offer.
25 November 2024
Training centre in Mosocho
The training and office building in Mosocho (Building) was constructed by men and women from Mosocho under the supervision of Lebkom e.V. The managing director of Enka Enyia is Jones Makori, who is pictured here presenting the new cupboard funded by Partners of Change.
The building is about a 20-minute drive from Lencer’s property.
We were welcomed by Robert Akuma and Marcella Onsongo from the Enka Enyia board (first from the left, third from the left), Jones Makori, the managing director (second from the left), and Jane Bonareri (fourth from the left), the developer of educational content for Enka Enyia – as well as by many volunteers. The core team of volunteers stems from the 2002 campaign, during which Lebkom managed to recruit 210 teachers from the Mosocho region for the project. In 2024, many of them are still actively involved in the Fulda-Mosocho project, even though some have already retired.
26./27 November 2024
Work, work, work
Inside the building, a questionnaire from Partners of Change is being worked through point by point with Enka Enyia, and a plan for the future is being drawn up together: in which areas should Enka Enyia’s work be targeted using the values-centred approach? At the bottom right, you can see Lukas Makori and Florence Ogonyo, who work on an hourly basis in Marani’s office. Joseph Onyancha from Kisii South also joined Jones. Like the full-time staff working in the Mosocho office, these liaison officers are funded by Partners of Change.
Lukas, Florence and Joseph serve as the bridgeheads to the regions neighbouring Mosocho. Even the more distant Kisii communities from other regions have already made enquiries to the Fulda-Mosocho Project to ask whether the new knowledge could be shared with them. By way of comparison: to date, the value-centred approach of Enka Enyia has been implemented in three regions in Kisii County; six regions remain, an area twice the size of Mosocho, Marani and Kisii South.
And that’s not all: Enka Enyia’s approach can also help the Maasai and Kuria regions, as well as other ethnic groups, to move away from female genital mutilation (FGM). There is a network of activists from the sub-Saharan countries of Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia and Sierra Leone who are campaigning against FGM. Jones is active within this network.
26./27 November 2024
At Lencer und Big Marguerite
Roswitha, Elzbieta, Beate and Konny stayed at Lencer’s farm and explored the possibilities for potential future travel programmes: basket weaving, shopping at the market in Oyugis, visits to and from Big Marguerite, and discovering Kenyan cuisine.
28./29 November 2024
Enka Enyia’s Parenting School and Girls’ School
Enka Enyia’s training sessions provide information about the female and male bodies. The sessions begin in April/May each year and continue over the course of four to five sessions throughout the year. At the end of November, two sessions are held in each location, during which parents and children are asked to demonstrate what they have learnt – through dialogue. Enka Enyia asks the questions, which the participants then answer. A key question is how many nerve cells the female reproductive organs have (6,000–8,000). What would happen if part of them were removed? The answers support the decision-making process. At the end of this process lies a decision, deep in the heart, to protect the girls. This is followed by the signing of a document granting the girls access to the celebrations. It is this decision of the heart that makes the project so sustainable.
In the centre of the bottom photo, Jane is teaching the mothers in Bigege on 28 November; on the right, you can see Florence and Vincent teaching the girls. Later, they will also train the Guardians – girls who have undergone circumcision – who will act as mentors to the uncircumcised girls during the Celebrations. No one is excluded.
Diana and Henry are training the girls
Today, 29 November, the girls are being taught in Ranganga, on the field in front of the school. First, the female and male reproductive organs are explained to them using a poster, and then they draw them themselves.
Impressive – the grandmothers
Alongside the training sessions for the girls, Marcella and Margeret are training the grandmothers who have come with their granddaughters. Furthermore, during the celebrations, the grandmothers will become mentors for their respective villages within the sub-location (sub-region) of the region.
At the same time, training sessions for fathers are also taking place. The clan elders visit the field in front of the school and help to ensure the girls’ safety.
30 November 2024
Anniversary celebration for long-standing members of Enka Enyia
Thanks to a donation from one of our members, Enka Enyia’s 20th anniversary was celebrated at the Building in Mosocho. Tiberius, a volunteer who works as a school cook by day, took charge of the cooking.
Elisabeth presents certificates of honour to the long-standing members of Enka Enyia. Fifteen members who have been with the group since 2002 attended the event. Most of them are teachers – the core of the group – who were trained back then by Claudia Wegener from Lebkom e.V. In the centre at the bottom, Elisabeth presents the certificate to Simon, who sits on the Enka Enyia board.
1 December 2024
Tabaka’s soapstone quarries
Today is a quiet day: we’re heading to two quarries in Tabaka. Here, soapstone – a soft stone that comes in many colours and is easy to work with – is quarried under life-threatening conditions. We find what we’re looking for in the shops and also get to do some walking, which we don’t usually get round to.
2 December 2024
Celebrations 1 in Riaiteba
The highlight of the trip was taking part in the two celebrations on 2 and 3 December. It was absolutely spine-tingling!
In Riaiteba, it begins like this: all participants are welcomed, followed by singing, a performance by the anti-FGM choir from St Patrick’s School in Mosocho, and the national anthem. We, as Germans, are seated opposite the children – in places of honour. Partners of Change are thanked for their efforts. The mothers or fathers accompany their daughters as they register for the ceremony.
The girls then go to a farmhouse to put on their yellow T-shirts and have something to eat. Meanwhile, in the main square, a few women and girls are talking about the terrible consequences of FGM, and the women are performing a song against female genital mutilation. Clan elders are present. Tiberius really gets the crowd going; the atmosphere is lively. The loudspeaker broadcasts the news about the girls who have not been cut far into the village.
Then the 37 young girls in their yellow T-shirts file in. The choir sings, then the mothers and grandmothers dance around the girls, and so do we. We are also drawn into the ceremony and are allowed to take turns handing out the certificates to the girls. Such moving moments – what a day!
3 December 2024
Celebrations 2 in Bigege
The celebrations in Bigege followed a similar format to those in Riaiteba. However, everything was organised in a much more formal manner. In attendance were Chief Simon and his assistant, as well as a future member of the National Parliament in Nairobi, who was also there to celebrate his daughter. The state television was there and interviewed Enka Enyia, Chief Simon, the MP, as well as Elisabeth and me. It was all very exciting! 57 girls were celebrated here!
4 December 2024
Return journey from Kisii to Nairobi
Home is calling. We say goodbye to the St. Vincent Guest House in Kisii. Two of us are heading on to Eldoret. The four of us set off with Alfred for Nairobi Airport.
Thanks
Our team would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Roswitha for organising such a successful trip!
Many thanks also to Elzbieta for the photos!
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