As a young girl, Mourine dreamed of becoming a doctor. But in her village of Kuria, in a rural region in southwestern Kenya, it is customary for girls to undergo female genital mutilation (FGM) and be married off — 8 out of 10 girls under the age of 18 are subjected to FGM every year. And so, she thought her future was written.
But then AJWS grantee Msichana Empowerment Kuria (MEK) came to her village. An 8-year-old Mourine joined one of their girls’ workshops at a local church, and she learned her fate could be different.
“Many of my friends had already dropped out of school after FGM and were preparing for marriage,” said Mourine, now 18-years-old. “I was very scared, and I felt like I had no choice. In our village, we were not educated about anything, and many girls like me did not know what to do.”
FGM causes severe injury, life-long trauma, and health problems for girls made to undergo it. The practice is so entrenched that it is considered a rite of passage into womanhood and a prerequisite for marriage. Today it is increasingly tied to issues of survival, power, and control. MEK’s goal, however, is to prevent all violence against girls, including ending FGM, particularly in rural villages in Kenya where rates are highest.
“Our work is critical here,” says MEK’s Executive Director Magdaline Majuma. “Supporting a girl to stay in school, remain safe, and have a voice in her own life shifts the future of entire families and communities as much as it improves her individual outcome.”
To ensure their work remains girl-centered, MEK’s approach is led by their Girls Council, a 24-member body of young women aged 15 to 23 years, who design and help implement its programs. Girls and young women are not just participants — they are decision-makers.
“The solutions to the challenges girls face already exist within their communities,” Magdaline explains. “Girls understand the risks, the pressures, and the possibilities better than anyone. When they are given the space, tools, and support, they lead change in ways that are powerful and sustainable.”
MEK works to shift social norms while also tackling the economic, health, and gender inequalities that sustain FGM. This includes improving educational outcomes by paying for girls’ school fees and supporting skills- and job-training; providing business grants and financial training for local women – many of whom are mothers to the girls in their programs; creating “brave spaces” where girls receive psychosocial support, education around their rights, and a sense of community and autonomy; free menstrual supplies; and case management for girls who have survived violence to ensure they receive care, support, and justice.
While MEK still encounters some community resistance, Magdaline has noticed a significant shift in mindset.
“Girls who once needed protection are now speaking out, influencing their peers, families, and leaders,” she says. “Mothers are choosing different paths for their daughters. Community members who were once resistant are now quietly — and sometimes publicly — supporting our work.”
Across the thirty villages where MEK works, FGM and child marriage have been reduced by seventy percent. They have also built a vibrant network of more than 15,000 women supporting each other’s livelihoods. More than fifty percent of these women have seen their revenue multiply tenfold in less than a year.
For Mourine, the work that MEK has done in her village has been lifechanging. Not only did the organization teach her how to advocate for herself, but MEK paid her school fees, for her uniform and supplies so she could attend school full-time.
Today, Mourine is studying clinical medicine at university. She is the first young woman of her generation in Kuria to complete secondary school and attend university without being cut. Mourine’s mother also joined one of MEK’s women’s groups which helped her to save money, start a small business, and learn new skills.
“Because of this, [my mother] changed her mind about FGM and early marriage and started supporting my education,” Mourine says. “Today, she is the one helping me continue with university.”
Mourine also serves on MEK’s Girls Council and plans to deepen her involvement after she finishes university. She feels grateful to be able to help girls the way she was once helped.
“In my community, many girls now look up to me, and my younger siblings understand the dangers of FGM. When I go to church or meet my friends, I talk to them and share what I have learned and encourage them to come to the brave space to learn,” Mourine adds. “I want to be a good example to girls in my community, to show them that change is possible.”
