Meet the footballers kicking FGM out of Tana River

The war on female genital mutilation in Tana River County has, for decades, been a women's affair, making it a nearly impossible quest.

The men, especially from pastoral communities, have shied from the topic, terming it a taboo to discuss anything regarding the female genitalia.

However, in Hola town, Galole Constituency, a group of young men have cast away their fears and are using football to help FGM survivors fight trauma.

Iqra Football Club, composed of 13 male champions, is counselling survivors, who, for years, have been feeling undermined and unappreciated by society. They also campaign against the harmful tradition.

Ismail Roba, the team's head of discipline, notes that the move was inspired by the need to end the notion that the young men were fuelling the cut.

“Elders would lie that we are the ones who demand a circumcised lady, then come and tell us to go for circumcised ladies, only for us to later see what this cut was doing to them,” he says.

He notes that after the cut, girls undergo certain cultural lessons that "tame their spirit to associate with people," hence withdraw. This makes them introverts, as they don't share their pain, and instead endure it in silence.

“For instance, it took so many years for us to know that when a woman smells urine, she is suffering from fistula. Our elders would say she is unkempt and we grew up assuming the same. Thanks to knowledge from experts [we now know better].”

Culturally, the girls would not share a room with men; however, Iqra FC is fast narrowing the gap by defying conservative traditions to welcome the girls to the table. The girls can then share their deepest secrets related to the cut, narrating the painful experiences they undergo.

“The first time my sister told me how the cut happens and drew me an image of what her genitalia looked like before and after the cut, I cried. I hated the world for being so harsh. I wondered how we reached this far,” said Ali Shuri, the team's captain.

Shuri notes that starting the conversation was never easy, and football played a major role in building the girls' confidence to open up and use football to heal from years of depression.

One year later, he notes that the team has made men a part of the conversation, challenging the elderly to abandon their old ways and look at things from a different angle.

“Our men are now listening, we are telling them that ‘we know you have been lying to us to keep a retrogressive tradition, we don't want it, so you must also pronounce yourselves against it,’” he says.

Also read: Intense awareness campaign key to ending FGM

Halima Hassan, a survivor, notes that the initiative has built her confidence as he can freely express herself and open up to her brother and father.

She says she has stopped feeling like a victim and has instead taken the position of a champion, to help other girls from her community join the team.

“I am happy that my family knows the truth and treats me and my child differently. I’m sure that my generation will not undergo what I went through,” she says.

Through the Brighter Society of Kenya Organisation (BSI), Iqra FC has gained vast knowledge of FGM and how to tackle related trauma.

BSI founder Sadiya Hussein notes that the campaign has been complex without the support of men.

“This is a huge step in the fight against the cut, we are not shouting like we used to. Having men who understand our plight is key to ending the cut," she says.

Ms Hussein notes that more than 5,000 women in the county suffer mental health problems due to FGM, and most of them have broken marriages due to misunderstandings with their husbands.

While football is creating a harmonious environment for the conversation on FGM, she hopes the agenda will inspire more men to join the fight.

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