The Maasai are a nomadic people group living in Kenya and Tanzania, with around 309,000 Maasai living in Tanzania. Within Maasai culture, significant moments in community members’ lives are marked with rites of passage. During puberty, one rite of passage that Maasai girls may experience is the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), which is the non-medical injury or removal of female genitalia. In some communities as many as 58% of girls experience FGM, a practice recognized as a human rights violation. Due to the prevalence of this practice, one in ten women in Tanzania have been circumcised.

One Day’s Wages is partnering with Mulika Afrika, a Maasai-led organization aiming to eradicate FGM and end violence against women in the Maasai community. Working within traditional Maasai social structures and consulting key community members (such as village elders, youth clubs, and traditional birth attendants), Mulika Afrika will advocate to end FGM and adopt alternative rites of passage for girls as they transition into womanhood. Mulika Afrika will use culturally-relevant methods, such as storytelling, music, and dance, to train community members on the harmful effects of FGM and gender-based violence. Additionally, Mulika Afrika will work with ngaribas (circumcisers) to identify alternative sources of income in place of performing circumcisions.