Page 13 - BEST PRACTICES_SOCIAL

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Description

Women in Africa still face the “the cut”, otherwise known as female genital mutilation (FGM), despite
being illegal in many African countries. In the town of Twala girls decided to choose their destiny and
not to suffer from the exposure to FGM. The movement that changed this practice started by the
initiative of Rosemary Nenini, the coordinator of the Twala Women’s Group. She has been working for
the conservation of the traditions and essentials of the Maasai culture, but also fought for the
elimination of the bad part of its culture, the FGM, early marriage, and a lack of education for girls.
Rosemarie claims this reduction of marriage of age as result of the poverty, because for wealth the
families exchange their girls for goats, sheep, and cows. The practice is done at an earlier age and the
fact that if the girls are not cut, no one would want to marry them.

However, the girls decided to go to school, which made them learn and claim their right to stop this
practice.

The strong collective movement leaded to a financial change at Twala. In the Laikipian Maasai culture,
the women perform a big part of the work, so they decided to grow aloe secundiflora, and sell it to the
men so that they could make their muratina brew.

Joseph Lentunyoi, a Maasai man who founded the Laikipia Permaculture Centre, decided to introduce
the women to the permaculture and he brought a representative of Lush, so the Twala women (and
women from three other neighbouring communities), began selling aloe to both Lush, and to local
Maasai women making soap.

Major achievements

The major achievements have been the claim for the right of the women, prohibition of FGM and
independence. Being independent, women has the chance to show their dedication, encouragement
and ability to drive their lives and create profitable businesses, which bring them and their families
a richer and dignified life, and empower economical the rural communities in which they live.