MED sponsored students welcome Esther Nkadaiyo, a newly rescued bride to their school
Students in their hostels
MED rescued students share a moment with MED college students at MED hostels
MED rescued students participating in
group study sesions
MED rescued students celebrate their birthday
Due to economic challenges facing the Maasai community in the 21st century, young girls between the ages of 10-18 years old are forced into early marriages. In most cases the parents marry off their daughters because they cannot afford to take them to school or feed them. Before the girls are married off, they must undergo Female Circumcision, a practice commonly referred to as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Although the practice has been outlawed by the Kenyan government, many in the Maasai community still practices FGM. As a result very many young girls suffer and end up missing out on education. MED has been successful in rescuing some of these girls but a majority of them end up being married off against their will. To offer an alternative to early marriages, MED developed the FGM & Bride Rescue Program, which seeks to protect the rights of young girls by providing them with the basic necessities, - education, shelter and food-, which their parents are not able to provide them. The rescue missions at times can be very dangerous as the Maasai community sees it as an interference in their culture and traditions. Through the FGM & Bride Rescue Program, MED provides rescued girls with full scholarships to attend school, a home - a safe environment in which to eat, sleep, study and find emotional and psychological support from MED staff members.
It costs MED US$1200 a year to support one rescued Maasai girl in their new home at the MED-center.
If you are interested in funding one rescued girl,
please click here.
Since the program was started in 2001, MED has rescued over 176 girls and supported them through education. MED recognizes it cannot merely prevent early marriages, it must support girls as they receive an education, graduate from high school, and attend the community college, gaining skills so that they can go on to get jobs in the computer industry or continue their education.
Creating awareness through education
With funding from the Norwegian Embassy, MED is currently working within the Maasai community to increase awareness of the dangers associated with FGM. MED has developed a curriculum to introduce alternatives to FGM and promote women’s rights among the Maasai people of Kenya.
MED, as an organization founded by and working specifically with and for the Maasai is in a unique position to create awareness and promote the eradication of FGM in Maasai society. MED’s programs are in agreement with a majority of the Maasai community members and the World Health Organization (WHO's) policy, which targets the complete worldwide eradication of FGM as of 2015 . In order to reach its goal of eliminating FGM in Maasai communities, MED will continue to educate the Maasai community from a bicultural approach respecting the traditions and cultures of the community.
