As the thick dust rises to the sky, it leaves a sting in my nose, and tears in my eyes. This has since become my favourite time of the day; hiding in the wave of dust to cry as I sweep clean the compound.
We are neither allowed to cry nor talk about it. My brothers talk about it in whispers, but when Ba finds out, he scolds them and sends them away to the fields. The last time I joined them to talk about it, Ma pulled me by the ears and I had to endure a tongue lashing that stayed piercing my heart for days. As she spoke, her voice trembled, and tears danced in her eyes. I wanted to comfort her, for her sorrow, I thought, were heavier than mine.
I have to finish sweeping the compound and run to the stream to fetch water. This should not be the case. Before this day, I would have gone to the stream first as someone else swept the compound. That someone else, I have since learnt, will not come back to help me with the chores, or to be helped with chores by me. Her soul is probably hovering above the cloud of dust that carries with it the echoes of my tears, the throbbing of my heart and the foreboding music in my soul. She is my late sister.
We are neither allowed to cry nor talk about it, but we saw her body being carried out of the hut. We ran to the back of the house and peeped through the tiny hole on the wall and there was a pool of blood on the floor. She had been kept in the hut for days, and only left as a corpse, with blood seeping through the shroud that draped her body. On the day she was taken in, she put up a spirited fight, but Ba and Ma overpowered her. Later that night, Ma warned me to never be like my sister; to never fight womanhood. To never fight the ways of our fathers. I wondered what the ways of our mothers looked like.
The rising dust shields me from Ma’s hawk eyes, and I bend between the sagging wire mesh. I am running away from home, to a land where womanhood is not written in blood, and a piece of flesh from my genitals.
-
Scholar Akinyi
72 Responses
“I am running away from home, to a land where womanhood is not written in blood, and a piece of flesh from my genitals.”
This is so POWERFUL.
Great piece.
“Her soul is probably hovering above the cloud of dust that carries with it the echoes of my tears, the throbbing of my heart and the foreboding music in my soul. She is my late sister.”
every single word in this piece carries a weight, it gets you to think and feel, to be in that space. Truly life changing.
Tastefully written.
…to a land where womanhood is not written in blood…
To ending FGM.
Beautiful mix of emotion, information and thrill weaved in such an exciting narration; a powerful piece!
Strong message 👌
Thanks for sharing. Such a great piece.
This is a very powerful story that has been written so skillfully. It has made me so emotional and sad that girls still go through FGM, and even die in the process. #ENDFGM
“I wondered what the ways of our mothers looked like.”
This is great!
This one pulled me into the main character’s emotions and I could literally feel the pain she was going through, am glad she finally finds hope at the last part of the story. I love it. Kudos to the writer.
Thank you for talking about it! #EndFGM
A great Piece Scho!
#EndFGM
‘…. land where womanhood is not written in blood, and a piece of flesh from my genitals’ is such a powerful and impactful way of telling it. I love the piece. Keep up
A compelling read! This part: “We are neither allowed to cry nor talk about it. My brothers talk about it in whispers, but when Ba finds out, he scolds them and sends them away to the fields“…
To End FGM, we must create safe spaces that amplify the voices speaking up against this violation of women’s and girls’ rights. To End FGM, we can nevermore speak in hushed tones.
#End FGM #STOP this barbaric act.
Well written.
So much said in so few words
This is, truly a beautiful script! Love it and thank for sharing.
Quite an emotional piece! You have captured the moment in words and froze it to eternity.
What an art!
Each time I read something new from you, I get more amazed than the previous time ❤️
This was so creatively put together and I’m looking forward to be awed some more!
Storytelling is a powerful tool when it comes to bringing the world to talking about issues that need to be talked about. Great job, Scho, for wielding the power you have as a storyteller. Beautiful writing that held my attention and managed to show me the need to champion the #EndFGM campaign.
I wish to reveal that If God wanted girls not to be born with their organs he’d not have created them with it.END FGM
This is such a powerful write up,Loved the closing.
Very Insightful and interesting read, well done for speaking the unspoken Scho…
A master piece 💯
To ending FGM💪
Well written Scho 👏
A powerful reminder of why we need it take part in this fight. #EndFGM
Can’t get enough of this masterpiece 😊
Such a masterpiece Schollar. It’s really irrational that a family member would perpetually carry out such a barbaric act on their own children. I see a future where FGM will just be a history. Thanks for carving your beautiful words into such a powerful weapon to end FGM.
Emotional one.
“I wondered what the ways of our mother looked like”.
Insightful
Great piece. When I grow up I will wrote like you.
Great piece. When I grow up I will write like you
Beautifuly written, bringing into focus FGM consequences in a way that tags at one’s emotions.
Amazing 😍 this is very motivating. She’s my editor the person that I trust her with my wordings 🙌. Thanks for sharing about #EndFGM.
I wondered what the ways of our mother looked like.
A good piece. It’s saddens what girls go through.
“…and only left as a corpse with blood seeping through the shroud that draped her body”
A very powerful piece.
#End FGM
You write elegantly. This is a beautiful piece.
I love the creativity..
Informative writing and keep talking about it.
A compelling read! This part: “We are neither allowed to cry nor talk about it. My brothers talk about it in whispers, but when Ba finds out, he scolds them and sends them away to the fields“… To End FGM, we must create safe spaces that amplify the voices speaking up against this violation of women’s and girls’ rights. To End FGM, we can nevermore speak in hushed tones
“to never fight womanhood,to never fight the ways of our fathers” you have captured patriarchal norms as the main perpetrators of FGM#End FGM
Nice piece!
Digging the route of the problem. The unspoken, Disrupting the Silence!
Thank you!
You write well girl ❤️
Very powerful and impactful!!! Nice piece #ENDFGM
I am running away from home, to a land where womanhood is not written in blood, and a piece of flesh from my genitals.
Tears welled in my eyes, really captured me
This is deep. Keep highlighting the dangers of FGM.
This is such beautiful writing.
I wondered what the ways of our mothers looked like…… beautiful
To never fight the ways of our fathers…
😩😩😩.
Such a beautifully written piece.❤
So apt. Sometimes as humans, we have to leave so as to live. Great piece.
Beautiful piece, Scholar..May our pens liberate women and stop such vile traditions..
To ending FGM.
Beautiful piece, you are really good at this.
To stories that don’t need too much fleshing (no pun intended) out. Thank you Scho.
That last line is everything. Beautifully written.
By all means, FGM mist die! Womanhood is defined by so many positive things. This blood herein, is neither on the list not is it positive.
Nice work 👏
Thanks for sharing. Such a great piece.
…Ma warned me to never be like my sister; to never fight womanhood. To never fight the ways of our fathers… one day.. just one day, the war on womanhood will be won. Powerful read Scho. #ENDFGM
Someone else 😭 #EndFGM
This Is a very good piece scho,,,as a woman I feel like I need to write also…keep inspiring scho☺️❤️
Great piece 👏👏
A great insight into the dangers of the practice 😢. Great storytelling too. #EndFGM
Short yet powerful & captivating.
Home should not be so dangerous a place that our daughters and sisters are forced to leave in order to be safe.
Home should be where you run to when you feel unsafe. Thanks for continuing this conversation!
Poetic. Poignant. Profound.
Truer words have never been spoken. The only bad thing about this masterpiece is that it ends – sadly.
A woman is more than just a rib and a shadow of flesh buried away from her soul.
Well penned, Scho. May this pen bleed the more in clotting the pain than our sisters endure in the hands of those who ruin the art women are made of – who they are – and NOT what they should be.
Okinyo,
You write beautifully. Disrupt the Silence! Embolden the muffled voices!
Beautifully written,Scho!👏♥️♥️♥️
This is beautiful Scholar. Few words, perfect description of FGM and an outcome of it.
“…the ways of our fathers. I wondered what the ways of our mothers looked like”
Right out of my mind! Captivating piece
Great piece, “to a land where womanhood isn’t written on my blood”…👌🏿
Precise and powerful
Well written, Scho. A masterpiece.
Beautifully written. A splendid piece of writing.