---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 18 May 2005 17:40:06 +0000
From: Molly Melching <[log in to unmask]>
To: B. Shell-Duncan <[log in to unmask]>,
Ylva Hernlund <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Public Declaration at Marakissa
PUBLIC DECLARATION FOR
FGC AND CHILD MARRIAGE ABANDONMENT
MARAKISSA, KOLDA - MAY 15, 2005
« It is a wonderful day for all of us Diolas living in the United States. We
now can send our daughters home to the village during vacation so they can
know their family and our positive Diola traditions without worrying that
they will undergo this cutting practice, which can lead to serious health
problems."
-Sadia Dieme (Son of the Village Chief of Marakissa now living in Houston,
Texas)
On Sunday, May 15, 2005, hundreds of representatives from 44 villages in the
region of Kolda, Department of Sedhiou, gathered in the village of Marakissa
for a joyful celebration to announce to the region, the nation and the world
their communal decision to abandon the practices of FGC and child marriage.
Participants from Tostan classes prepared this declaration over the past 18
months, holding inter-village meetings and consulting with members of their
family now living in Ziguinchor, Dakar, the Gambia and even the United
States. After much debate among groups of young girls and women, boys and
men, traditional and religious leaders, and traditional cutters, the
decision was made to definitively end FGC and prohibit marriage of girl
children, who in the past were married by their relatives as early as 12
years old.
Having been directly involved in this decision, family members contacted
during the meeting process decided to travel to the declaration to
participate in the celebration. In fact, many busloads of men, women and
adolescents now living in Dakar and the Gambia arrived in Marakissa to take
an active role in declaration activities.
On Saturday, May 14, 17 journalists from Kolda, Ziguinchor, Dakar and
Finland visited the neighboring village of Niadieme to learn about the
process that led to the abandonment of these practices. Village participants
in the Tostan program presented plays and songs and discussed the human
rights and responsibilities that influenced their decision. The journalists
interviewed women, men and children throughout the village.
Khalifa Tamba spoke for the Niadieme villagers who are living in other
countries, stating that he himself visited Iran, an Islamic country where
people are surprised that a practice such as FGC exists. "When Iranians
asked me if we practiced this tradition in my village, I was embarrassed and
said 'No,' even though it was not true. Now I will not have to lie because
we have finally abandoned the practice here. FGC is not an Islamic
obligation and can bring pain to women throughout their lives. It can even
harm their relationship with their husbands. We are proud to participate in
this historic event because it restores women's dignity and gives them their
rightful place in our society."
Not all of the focus was on traditional practices during the Niadieme visit,
however. Villagers noted that people are no longer leaving for other cities
and countries because the village has started several income generating
projects. They proudly showed off a honey-producing "factory" and
discussed the other small projects they have started through micro-credit
loans. In addition, they noted that the Community Management Committee has
made significant progress on its projects: a large garden has been planted
with hundreds of fruit trees; construction is underway for both a health
station and a two-room schoolhouse for the children of Niadieme‹a school
that now has a teacher thanks to the public service lobbying skills the
Community Management Committee learned to use during the Tostan program.
The declaration ceremony itself began at 10 AM on Sunday, May 15, with
traditional singers and dancers welcoming the delegations of Tostan
education program participants from Thies, Dakar, Matam, St. Louis, Kaolack,
Tambacounda, Kidira, Kolda, and Ziguinchor, as well as many other guests who
came to witness the public pledge. The Imam of Marakissa then gave the
opening welcome and prayer, clearly stating his support for the abandonment
of FGC and child marriage. He was followed by the Village Chief, the
President of the Community Management Committee, the President of the area
youth group, the village nurse, representatives of villagers living in other
cities or countries, and a traditional cutter. Their determined and
forceful statements in Diola (translated for the guests) clearly summarized
their reasons for abandoning FGC and child marriage, and all were
enthusiastically applauded by the crowd. Between speeches, costumed
performers representing traditional forest animal figures interacted with
colorful Diola dance groups, providing a wonderful example of positive Diola
traditions. A play was presented by the Marakissa class on the health
dangers and human rights violations related to FGC. The official public
statement declaring the abandonment of FGC and child marriage was then read
in Diola, French and Mandinka by village women.
The guests attending the ceremony included representatives from UNICEF
(Senegal and the Gambia), UNFPA, USAID, NGOs, and numerous national and
local Government officials and members of the Senegalese Parliament, notably
the Vice President of the National Assembly and the President of the
Regional Council of Kolda. These visitors congratulated the participants on
their decisive and positive action. The UNICEF-Senegal Representative, Mr.
Mamadou Wane, explained that this "family decision" was a bright torch that
would illuminate the way for other communities seeking better health for
girls and women.
As the first declaration to directly involve emigrant relatives in the
decision to abandon FGC and forced marriage, the declaration of Marakissa
marked an important new direction in the declaration process, which so far
has seen a total of 1,571 villages publicly abandon these harmful
traditional practices.
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