Kenya urged to Open Clitoral Hospital to Deal with FGM

By NewsfromAfrica

NAIROBI –After the tragic death of a 13-year old Kenyan girl who underwent female genital mutilation (FGM) last April 14, an organization that helps FGM victims obtain restorative surgery to reverse FGM effects, is urging Kenyan Health Secretary James Macharia to open Kenya’s first clitoral repair hospital.

“FGM reversal surgery, which restores clitoral functioning, is a powerful deterrent to the barbaric, cruel and dangerous practice of female genital mutilation,” said Clitoraid Communications Director Nadine Gary.  “Why do something so unpleasant and painful when the results can easily be undone?”

Clitoraid, which is in the final stages of opening a state-of-the-art clitoral repair clinic in Burkina Faso, also organized a humanitarian mission in Bobo Dioulasso last month in which 38 FGM patients recovered clitoral function.

“Four American volunteer doctors traveled to Burkina Faso to do those surgeries, and thanks to them, those 38 patients will now enjoy their lives as complete women,” Gary said. “The same humanitarian mission must be organized in Kenya without delay. Countless FGM victims have written to us from Kenya, and they’re begging us to provide the service in Kenya. They need our help to regain their sense of dignity and their capacity for physical pleasure.”

Gary said her organization has written to James Macharia offering to come and train a Kenyan surgeon to do the clitoral repair procedure free of charge if he or she is willing to learn the technique.

Noting that a pan-African FGM conference organized by Burkina Faso’s First Lady, Chantal Compaore, will be held April 24-26 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Gary said Clitoraid is looking forward to the event.

“We’re looking forward to presenting our humanitarian project for Kenya at that gathering,” she said. “No time should be wasted, since we must act at once to save lives!”