Stories of survival, strength, solidarity and sisterhood
By Nevin Sulthan I am a survivor of female genital mutilation (FGM), and I have met many others from my community who have undergone the same violation. Even though there are many survivors of FGM, the community hardly acknowledges its existence. The digital storytelling workshop Voices To End FGM created a platform for sharing and […]
Willing To Learn
By Anonymous Attending the digital storytelling workshop was an opportunity that came by and seemed interesting. After the first meeting and learning more about the Voices To End FGM/C program, I was even more intrigued. I wanted to be able to create a story that people would feel deeply and find some sort of hope […]
Sahiyo volunteer spotlight: Social media intern Olachi Nwagwu
Olachi is a UW-Madison graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. She is an aspiring entrepreneur and content creator who is passionate about sustainability and community design based thinking. Olachi believes strongly that social media should be used as a tool to help overlooked people in society go from being “invisible” to “visible”. She admires […]
Sahiyo wins grant from Peace Development Fund
Sahiyo U.S. would like to thank our friends at the Peace Development Fund for a core support grant award of $5,000.00. The Peace Development Fund supports organizations who are working to shift power, build a movement, dismantle oppression, and create new structures. This grant, from their Community Organizing Grants Fund, is made possible by hundreds […]
The Connecticut Coalition to End FGM/C speaks with the Hartford Times
Within the U.S., there are currently 10 states without any laws in place to protect girls from Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C); Connecticut is one of those states. Since 2021, the Connecticut Coalition to End FGM/C has been working to build holistic solutions for supporting survivors and preventing future generations of girls from experiencing FGM/C in […]
Training Social Workers to be more responsive to survivors of FGC
On June 23rd, Caitlin LeMay, LCSW of the US End FGM/C Network, and Mariya Taher, MSW, MFA of Sahiyo, parterned to provide a workshop on Female Genital Cutting (FGC) for social workers through Boston College Continuing Education. The workshop provided an introductory foundation for understanding what FGC is, including prevalence in the U.S. and globally, […]
Aarefa Johari makes statement at Human Rights Council
On June 20th, Sahiyo co-founder Aarefa Johari submitted an online oral statement on Female Genital Cutting (FGC) in Asia at the United Nations’ 50th Human Rights Council. The statement was made on behalf of the Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW) and the Asia Network to End Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting. The video statement […]
Joanna Vergoth chosen as 2021 CRAVE Foundation for Women honoree
We are proud to announce that Sahiyo U.S. Advisory Board Member Joanna Vergoth, LCSW, NCPsyA, was chosen as a 2021 CRAVE Foundation for Women grant recipient. She is a psychotherapist, specializing in trauma and was choosen as a recipient for her committed activism of over 20 years in helping those impacted by Female Genital Cutting […]
Sahiyo collaborates further with Asian Women’s Shelter to support Survivors
Since January 2022, Sahiyo has been in collaboration with Asian Women’s Shelter (AWS) to increase capacity of services for survivors of female genital cutting (FGC). In June, Sahiyo conitnued with trainings on FGC for the AWS staff and volunteers to help educate their organization on the context of FGC in the United Stataes, who FGC […]
My experience is a tool to create social change
By Zahra Qaiyumi In the process of creating a video as part of the Voices to End FGC project, I was able to pull scattered thoughts and memories into a clear and concise picture. The workshop allowed me to contemplate the different aspects of my experience as a survivor and helped me focus in on […]