‘I know of two girls, the same age as me, who escaped female genital cutting in their village. They sought refuge at our neighbours.’ — 14 year-old Abergail, student at AIC Sunrise Primary School.

In November 2024, So They Can Kenya brought together Baringo stakeholders to facilitate Alternative Rite of Passage (ARP) activities over 3 days — a total of 64 students aged 10-16 years old from across our 10 partner primary schools living in villages where female genital cutting (FGC) still take places illegally, participated.

For Abergail, joining So They Can’s ARP training has given her a stronger resolve to report cases of FGC, and lead her peers to be courageous, and do the same.

ARP is widely recognised in Kenya as a substitute ceremony in traditional communities, which acknowledges when a girl enters womanhood, while upholding her rights, and protecting her health and wellbeing.

The ARP activities covered a range of topics, focusing on equipping all participants with knowledge and skills to ensure that girls understand that this intervention allows girls to celebrate their initiation to womanhood with respect to culture, and tradition, without undergoing the cut.

Claudia, a 14-year old student from Ng’ambo Primary School also attended, and shared her key learnings:

‘Female genital cutting has a lot of disadvantages and puts women at risk….like complications during child birth and even death. We learnt a lot during the few days we have been here…about child rights, good hygiene practices, as well as drugs and substance abuse.‘

The girls who attended will be saved from FGC, and both girls and boys become ambassadors of girls’ rights.