CCLEF Sponsored Girl Nancy Tomee and her fight against FGM.
Recently, one of our sponsored girls, Nancy Tomee, had the opportunity to appear at the UN as part of her fight against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Nancy resisted FGM for seven long years, enduring bullying and abuse before a local organisation intervened on her behalf. She is now an ambassador for change, demanding that the rights and welfare of adolescent girls, particularly those in Africa are supported globally. In Africa, girls continue to endure high rates of child marriage and early pregnancy, leading to lower levels of secondary school completion and higher levels of maternal death.
“I am representing those that are demanding that change, for each girl needs to be a source of further change, and I am an ambassador,” she said at the high-level dialogue, which was organized by the Organization of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA) in partnership with UNFPA.
At the event, which coincided with the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly, first ladies from around Africa and the world called on global leaders to support the rights and welfare of adolescent girls – particularly those in Africa, where girls continue to endure high rates of child marriage and early pregnancy, leading to lower levels of secondary school completion and higher levels of maternal death.
- See more at: http://esaro.unfpa.org/public/news/pid/18413#sthash.U8yopHrP.dpufhttp://www.unfpa.org/public/home/news/pid/18321Through the CCLEF, we still have direct communication with Nancy and her school. We knew about Nancy’s determination to fight FGM. Two years ago she wrote this to the CCLEF as part of her application:
"I would like to become a doctor in future because I would like to assist people in my community to know the consequences of Female Genital Mutilation. I am from a community which practices this and I was lucky to have been saved from this practice. "
Below is Nancy's story. Please join us in celebrating Nancy’s excitement and success, and please do share her story through social media and in any way you can.
We wish Nancy well in her education. She is currently sitting for her final exams so who knows where she will go next...wherever it is, she is hopefully safe.