27% of girls in Kenya are circumcised and, among some ethnic groups - such as the Maasai - it is a near universal practice. It causes serious long-term health problems, increases mother and child death rates during birth, increases girls drop-out from school, and perpetuates inequalities in women's rights. There are very few projects which have developed an approach to changing the practice of FGC that is culturally sensitive and scaleable.

SAFE Maa (part of the S.A.F.E. team) has been working with the Loita Hills Maasai for 7 years to develop an alternative rite of passage - a ritual which initiates the young girl into womanhood and validates her identity as part of the Maasai community without any genital cutting. Between 2014-2016, this project will scale up activities to try to achieve a community declaration of abandonment of the practice by 2016. We seek funding for 4 months of this essential, community-driven work.