00:00In Mititi Village in Kenya's Kirinyaga County, 29-year-old Evelyn Nyambura lives with the
00:12emotional scars of female genital mutilation, FGM. Caught as a child, she has lived for years
00:19with pain, shame, and a sense that a part of her was taken away.
00:23I don't feel comfortable with my body the way I am after the FGM. Yeah, I'm not just comfortable with my body.
00:34Kirinyaga is a region in central Kenya where FGM was once seen as a rite of passage.
00:40Today, the practice is illegal and less common, but some girls are still caught in secret often by relatives.
00:48FGM practitioners in these areas are targeting newborns to evade detection.
00:54Most of these cases come to light at clinics only when complications set in as the girl grows older.
01:01There is a case of one child that was cut by her grandmother while her mother was not, the mother didn't know anything about it.
01:12She was cut by the grandmother and put short on that wound. She really cried. I would like those things to stop.
01:20Evelyn speaks out against FGM in her community and encourages other survivors to seek help. But she too has struggled in silence.
01:30She is now preparing to undergo clitoral reconstruction surgery in Nairobi. Local clinics around Mititi cannot offer this medical procedure.
01:41To have a chance at healing, Evelyn must travel more than 150 kilometers to Nairobi's Jalaram Medical Facility.
01:49Her surgery is set for March 2026.
01:53I'm here to see the hospital. I'll be having the reconstructive surgery.
02:00And how did you know that?
02:02I heard it from a friend of mine. She had posted it on social media and WhatsApp, Facebook, sorry. And that's why I decided to come and see how it looks like. It looks like to see if I'm lucky to be having the surgery.
02:19Evelyn says visiting the facility will help her to mentally prepare. At the clinic, Sojourn Dr. Arib Chowdhury and his team counsel her about what to expect and what the surgery can and cannot change.
02:33When we asked her about her expectations, she couldn't hold her tears.
02:38My expectations are to feel as a woman again because I've been first. I'm a single mom of two from two different fathers.
02:53Okay. Sorry.
03:00Okay. For example, orgasm, I've never experienced that. I only do it to just to make the man happy, but I've never been happy.
03:11According to Dr. Chowdhury, most patients fear facing the knife again or simply don't know the procedure exists.
03:18That is why awareness of this procedure remains low. However, through a partnership with CletoAid, a US-based organization, they have been able to provide this restorative surgery free of charge to women like Evelyn.
03:33The first step is always from the patient. If they can take the first step, the rest they can leave to us. We have been able to change lives.
03:41Some patients have said that, Dr. Ari, ever since you've operated on me, the memories of the FGM are in the past.
03:49For Evelyn, the decision is difficult. The memory of FGM still hurts and facing another operation is frightening.
03:58But this time, she has chosen it for herself. Her journey from Mititi to Nairobi is a step towards healing and a message to other survivors that they too can reclaim their autonomy.
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