Taking Women’s Health Osteopathy to Kenya
So the time has come to return.
After a 3 year wait, i can finally take up the reigns again of my humanitarian osteopathic work and return to Kenya this Autumn.
The charity I work for is called the Divinity Foundation, and through their expeditions, we provide free healthcare, education, food and clothing for impoverished women and children. www.divinityfoundation.com
We work in many different areas, but in particular, we focus on the Maasai girls as they are still subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM). We provide education within the Maasai communities, a rescue home for those fleeing FGM, and free healthcare for those suffering the aftermath.
It is tough and often heart-breaking work, but through the charity's amazing work we have managed to educate the cutters about the dangers of their work, provide a rescue home for girls at risk, provide alternative rites of passage and empower the tribal chiefs to make changes in their community.
The girls are now thriving in the rescue home. Having been rescued from the brink of FGM, many of them already forced into relationships where they suffered rape and abuse, they have shown extraordinary bravery and resilience by turning their lives around. The centre gives the girls vocational skills in animal care, vegetable growing, sewing, and computing skills. These girls will become independent young women one day and the charity is giving them the skills for life!
FGM is not a just a problem in far off lands; there are 66,000 victims in the UK and 20,000 still at risk every year. Families send their girls back to their own countries to have the procedure done, or find local private ‘cutters’ mostly during the school holidays during the ‘cutting season’. More than 2000 victims of FGM sought help in London hospitals in the last 3 years.
It has been illegal in the UK since 1985 and in Kenya since 2011, but despite many arrests here and abroad, there has yet to be just one conviction, all due to lack of evidence and corruption.
London has been accused of being the FGM capital of Europe, as wealthy families are finding cutters in private clinics. However, in the past few years midwives, border control officials and teachers are receiving training on FGM and how to help affected children and mothers who can suffer life-threatening consequences during childbirth.
So the work the charity does in protecting these girls in Kenya, raising awareness, and providing free healthcare and education, are in fact helping girls right here in the UK.
With your help, so far I have now completed five missions, treated over 16,000 women and children, handed out 500kg of donations, and educated families on vital topics from tooth-brushing, hygiene, and nutrition to contraception, child birth and FGM!
As I embark on my six mission, I am asking for you to consider supporting my work once again. Most importantly I need to actually get out there! So George and I need to raise £2000 to cover our flights, accommodation and internal travel.
We are so very grateful for your support, as you can see your help really does make a difference. Your donations are completely traceable, you can see and hear about the amazing results we have been achieving and know your gifts go straight into the hands of the children!
Please visit our Just Giving page to give a donation:
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/humanitarian-osteopathy?utm_term=q6bjEndX5
Or scan this QR code on your phone
To see what we have achieved on previous trips and to hear about the extraordinary experiences, you can go to the SOP website and read my 2019 diary there.
Thank you so much
Emma and George xxx