Masanga Educational Assistance (MEA Project)
December 23rd, 2011Published on Giving Women, by Michèle Moreau, Valentina Di Felice, Anne Torrel, May Soliman, Karine Lubambu /GW Project Circle for MEA, Dec. 15, 2011.
… MEA is an extraordinary project with an innovative approach to the problem of female genital mutilations in the Masanga communities of Sierra Leone. In particular it sponsors Bondo ceremonies during which all rituals are respected with the exception of the excision.
With a very simple model, MEA proposes a choice to girls and their families: education against excision. If girls are not excised, they will get scholarships till the end of compulsory education and, if possible, throughout higher education.
Since 2007, over 200 girls were not excised and receive an education thanks to the project.
In order to support MEA, GW Project Circle on MEA would like to share with Giving Women members and friends the needs of the project and invite you to give your contribution or to engage as volunteers.
MEA is looking for:
- 1 – Donations up to CHF 5’000 to sponsor a Bondo ceremony without excision for 50/60 girls. The cost to sponsor the ceremony for a girl is roughly CHF 100.
- 2 – Donations up to CHF 5’000 to sponsor the construction of a new small building to host these ceremonies. The building will be realized with local materials and will be used for the futures Bondo ceremonies (at least 3 per year).
- 3 – Sponsors of scholarships. The cost to support the education of a girl is CHF 30 per month and it is payable monthly; every six months or annually.
- 4 – Volunteers to join the Giving Women Project Circle’s in support of MEA (only for GW Members – if interested please write to valentina.difelice@gmail.com).
We would like to remind you that from November 25 (International Day Against Violence Against Women) to December 10 (International Human Rights Day), women organizations around the world lead an international campaign to fight violence against women … (full text).