What we do
We found a solution that makes everyone happy…
In Kiswahili “Hiari” translates into the option. At the Hiari Project we work with Maasai girls living in impoverished areas where school is not an option for them. We give these girls the choice of an education and to not become a victim of FGM and child marriage. With the support of grants, sponsorships, and donations we fund and oversee girl’s school career and their safety.
By us sending a Maasai girl to school, her family is willing to forgo FGM and child marriage. In the Maasai culture, a young and “cut” bride is very valuable. However, we have learned that, to her family, if she gets an education she’s seen as a more valuable bride than without. Additionally, by the time she leaves school she will be an educated adult able to make her own decisions for her body and marriage. So the family’s traditions remain intact while the girl gets a chance to grow up and get an education before starting a family of her own.
What is FGM? <—Link
FGM stands for Female Genital Mutilation. It is the ritual cutting or removal of some or all of the external female genitalia.
Procedures differ according to the country or ethnic group. They include removal of the clitoral hood and clitoral glans; removal of the inner labia; and removal of the inner and outer labia and closure of the vulva. In this last procedure, known as infibulation, the vaginal opening is sewn shut leaving only a small hole is left for the passage of urine and menstrual fluid; the vagina is “opened” for intercourse and opened further for childbirth.
Why do we want to stop this practice?
The practice is rooted in gender inequality, attempts to control women’s sexuality, and outdated ideas about purity, modesty and beauty. Adverse health effects depend on the type of procedure but they can include recurrent infections, difficulty urinating and passing menstrual flow, chronic pain, the development of cysts, an inability to get pregnant, complications during childbirth, and fatal bleeding. There are no known health benefits.
These girls are desperately looking for help and a way out. Our primary goal is to protect their bodies and their choices which are basic human rights. Secondarily we want to give them the equal opportunity to get an education.