Pokot girls rescued from FGM appeal for humanitarian help to go to school

Pokot teenage girls rescued from undergoing the cultural Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) are in dire humanitarian help in order to embark to school.

23 girls aged 8 to 13 years were currently held at Tangulbei boarding primary Tiaty East Sub-county. They are among thousands facing the knife in Baringo County.

“The girls are ready to get back to school but they are in dire need of school uniforms, Mattresses and writing material” Tangulebei Women Network Mary Kuket told the Star on Wednesday.

She said the children were currently sleeping on the ground while using their civilians as the school uniform.

The girls were rescued from their hostile families at Karoiwo, Kabalabata, Kakaryakales, Kasitet, Kasokon, Bombo and Korolwo villages.

“We will kill you if you don’t join your colleagues being circumcised in the bush” Kuket said the girls were being threatened by their parents and brothers.

Tiaty East Deputy County Commissioner Reuben Ratemo said the girls were in safe hands, although they were being pursuit by their relatives.

Ratemo ordered police to arrest the culprits coming to disturn the children saying they will face full force of the law.

The school head teacher Musa Terter said they none of the girls had gone to school, “despite their age I was forced to place them in class one” He said

He said they also helped to shave their locally plaited hair that had been smeared with soil, locally known as ‘Munyan’.

Three other girls were rescued at the nearby Kadogoi primary school according to the head teacher Dorcas Yatich, totaling to 23 girls.

“The number is also growing every day and so we would request for a rescue centre in Tiaty so the girls escaping fgm could run to for their safety” said Ratemo.

Kuket said thousands of girls are currently facing the cut in pokot community as they await early marriage.

“But due to the frequent media highlights and the government harsh warnings, they have slowed down the vice” She said

Furthermore, she said while being interviewed some girls said they were being threatened by their parents and brothers if they resisted joining their mates to be circumcised in the bush.

She said after the cut, the parents will marry off their girls immediately in-exchange of wealth in terms of livestock.

-Joseph Kangogo