The Radical Runaways: Inside an FGM Rescue Center for Girls

Faith is wearing a blue dress with a white collar. She is standing outside the center and is hugging Florence.

Florence’s rescue center has saved more than 413 girls from female genital mutilation (FGM) and early marriage. The Kenyan schoolteacher’s lifelong crusade against FGM began with her own narrow escape as a child.

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3 Girls Who Are Insisting They Are NOT Property

A girl in a red dress stands in the hills, head back and arms out to the side.

Throughout history, many societies have treated girls as little more than property to be traded in marriage. Enormous progress has been made, but entrenched beliefs are hard to overcome. The practices of child marriage, dowries and female genital mutilation, while illegal in many countries, are still a threat for many girls.

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A woman stands next to four little girls.

This Hero Has Rescued 150 Girls From FGM

Florence Lomariwo’s lifelong crusade against female genital mutilation, or FGM, started with her own narrow escape.

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How Does Compassion International Protect Children From Abuse?

How Does Compassion Protect Sponsored Children From Abuse?

We are passionate about ensuring that children in poverty are known, loved and protected. Therefore, child protection is foundational to our ministry. That’s why we have developed, and continue to develop, robust training, policies and networks to both prevent and respond to abuse.

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FGM App: How 5 girls are restoring hope with an app to fight FGM

How 5 Girls Are Restoring Hope With an App to Fight FGM

Synthia, a 17-year-old Compassion-assisted student from Kenya, joined with four classmates to develop an app to end female genital mutilation – and won second place at Google’s 2017 Technovation Challenge.

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It's Love That Will Drive Out the Darkness

It’s Love That Will Drive Out the Darkness

Every day, I’m hit with a headline in the news that leaves me feeling helpless. Acts of violence and hate seem to be happening more than ever. So this month for our “Totally Worth It” series, we’re highlighting stories and people who are lighting up the world through acts of compassion and love instead of hate.

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Rite of Passage Desks

A New Rite of Passage

Jennifer Sekeyian Kisurkat was consumed by the song and dance of young Maasai dancers during the ceremony of a new type of rite of passage in her community. She felt “excited and privileged” to be part of the wave of change that the Najile School for Girls would bring to her life and the community.

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girl in traditional African clothing

A Culture of Circumcision in the Kurya Tribe of Tanzania

Circumcision, performed on both males and females, is a major cultural practice throughout the Kurya ethnic groups. It is such an important practice among the community members that when an uncircumcised foreigner comes to live among them, he or she is forced into circumcision.

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woman with her hand under the chin of a child wearing a pink shirt

Child Sponsorship Is Not in Vain

My name is Peninah Esianoi Pashile. I was a sponsored child at Imaroro Child Develoment Center in Kenya. I would like to share my story with you and hope that it will be an inspiration and encouragement.

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