117 girls take refuge in church to escape FGM

From The Citizen Daily, Dar es Salaam
By Anthony Mayunga

SERENGETI. The Anglican Church here has provided shelter to 117 young girls who ran away from their homes to escape female genital mutilation (FGM).

The children, most of them aged between 10 and 15, took refuge at a safe house operated by the Mugumu Anglican Church.

FGM, according to local customs, transforms a young girl into woman, thus eligible to get married.

The coordinator of a programme that helps children who oppose genital mutilation in Serengeti District, Mr Rhobi Samwel, said there were 43 children at the centre while the rest were sheltered by pastors in various areas of the district.

“We have at this centre 43 children from Serengeti and Butiama districts, while a bigger number of them have taken refuge in houses of pastors and other religious personnel,” he said.

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