Traditio murtuu Yirgalemissa

Raportti Bezuneshilta ja Tesfayelta! He ovat opettaneet Yirgalemissa tyttöjen sukuelinten silpomisen vakavista haitoista suurelle kuulijakunnalle. Kuten raportista käy ilmi, on asennemuutoksen tapahduttava ihmisissä itsessään sillä ei riitä, että asetetaan säädöksiä ja lakeja. Päinvastoin, lailla kieltäminen on tehnyt tilanteesta vain pahemman: lapsia silvotaan salaa. Bezuneshin ja Tesfayen työ on rankkaa, mutta he ovat hyvin sisukkaita ja opetuksensa on tehokasta: he muuttavat kulttuuria sisältä päin. Opetuksessaan he mm. puhuvat ääneen silpomisen seurauksista tytön terveydelle, sosiaaliselle elämälle ja seksuaalisuudelle. Nämä ovat hyvin rajuja asioita ja koska aihe on Etiopiassa erittäin vahva tabu, on todella tärkeää, että nämä asiat näkevät päivänvalon. Tiedostamisen kautta ihmiset uskaltavat yhdessä tarttua toimeen tradition murtamiseksi.

Second work report to our partners in Finland

Topic:- FGM is one of women’s challenge for Sidama people

First of all we would like to greet you  all who supported us in all ways. As we informed last time we had an appointment with Sidama people in Yirgalem Kale Hiwote church in Yirgalem town. According to this appointment this time we taught in Yirgalem both female and male groups. There was more than 50 both married and unmarried male and female groups listening. We taught for 4 days and after that we came to write our work report. This is what we taught them:

FGM is one of the harmful traditional practices that affect the health of women. FGM is common and acceptable practice in the Sidama tradition. Many women are suffering from health problem as a consequence of this practice. FGM puts extra strain on women that are already burdened. FGM is causing both immediate and long-term health complication that affect women’s physical and mental being. As it has been mentioned FGM has short and a long term effect in women’s lives such as severe bleeding due to extreme pain that takes a long time to be healed.

According to Sidama culture many people believe that female circumcision is a form of initiation into womanhood or to ensure social cohesion and family integration. They do this practice to reduce females sexual desires as a means of maintain chastity, virginity, and fidelity and as a way of increasing males sexual pleasure. Nowdays people practice it in hidden way because the Christian church has many times tried to work against it because people accept it as a culturally acceptable norm, but there is no evidence in the Bible about FGM practicing on the lives of girls. 

We affirmed that this practice is unbiblical and heretical teaching. As we know many women lost their life when they give birth and in circumcised season. And we raised one example from our area; one girl is suffering within urine problem still nowdays. Also she lives without marriage, she is uneducated because of this problem and she is afraid to participate in social life. Also Tesfaye shared one experience from his married life because I (mean Bezunesh) is circumcised woman. In this case he suffer when he goes to enjoy in intercourse time she is not prepared herself for sex immediately. Also she has no well health through the circumcision. So, FGM has been the one of severe challenges on the lives of women in the church and among unbelievers until this day. 

So that we must start to save the lives of women from accidental death. We also showed one documentary film of FGM and then they were very worried and they realized what they have done to the lives of their women. This time means for us a wonderful time because after they saw this film they hear about it, their interest was very increased to hear and to learn more about the dangers of FGM. They said they need this teaching for their children because they want to save their lives from this harmful traditional practicing of FGM. As we understood from their response they are very open to accept to avoid this practice from the Christian community. So, we are very happy in this time ours teaching on our vision.

Now, we are preparing the next teaching, it is about the historical back ground of FGM and it takes a long time which means more than three months. Please support us within your prayer and by giving a important suggestions. We also want to reach political leaders and church leaders within this teaching. 

The following picture show our learner in this December month for continues days in Yirgalem Christian community. 

We wish all the best for those who read this our work report.

Have a good time. May God bless you and your life.

Jos haluat olla mukana tukemassa tätä projektia taloudellisesti, ottaa Bezuneshin ystävät ry. vastaan avustuksia tilille FI17 5549 8340 0167 24 (Henrica Fagerlund-Sippoin). Yhdistys maksaa Bezuneshille ja Tesfaylle kuukausipalkkaa työstään.