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LALI’S STORY

The room is dimly lit, and the air is musty. My twin sister and I are sat on the floor in a corner of the room while the adults are stood on the opposite end, discussing. They are too far for us to make out what they are saying, but we knew it couldn’t be good because our mother kept glancing at us as though she were guilty of something. I nudge my sister with my foot, and stare at her. She responds by shaking her head lightly, the fear in her eyes mirroring my own.
The adults stop talking and our parents exit the room, leaving us and the strange woman. My sister reaches for me, and our hands, both slick with sweat, are unable to grab on to each other. The woman walks to the door and bangs it twice. The sound reverberates through the room, and my sister begins to cry softly. I swallow my tears and move closer to her. In all our eight years, I’d had to be the tougher sister, but now even I couldn’t deny the fear that wrapped itself around my throat.
The door opens and five women walk in, each carrying different items. They place it before the strange woman who has now lowered herself onto a low stool. She points at my sister and one of the women approach us and motions for my sister to get up. My sister refuses, shrinking away from the woman. Two other women join her and they grab my sister by her arms and drag her to the strange woman, while another pins me to the floor. I watch as my sister kicks and screams in their hands. They push her to the floor in front of the strange woman and the rest of the women grab on to her legs, opening them wide. As soon as the strange woman touches her, my sister releases an ear curdling scream, she buckles against the women, trying hard to free herself. They hold her tighter until she stops fighting. Her head drops back, and I see her eyes roll into her head. The women do not let her go until the strange woman moves back. They drag my sister to another corner of the room, her body leaving a trail of blood. Once they let her go, the women turn to me. It is my turn.

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95 Responses

  5. Well set out dear!..This is the beginning of lifelong suffering for most women, from pain to loss of confidence, to frigidity and resentment. Just another harsh reality that should be stopped by all means.

  15. As always your writing is impeccable, we would never understand the pain of fgm but this piece really shows how horrifying it could be.

  17. Nice read..
    The fear, trauma and anguish of the girl child is really sad to see and it hurts to see fgm still practiced in our society

  21. This is so beautifully written!as always the way you described the trauma that millions of fgm victims go through is beyond admirable.

  28. To promote the elimination of female genital mutilation, coordinated and systematic efforts are needed, and they must engage the whole communities and focus on human rights, sexual education and attention to the needs of women and girls who suffer from its consequences.

    Nice write up Raheemah.👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

  44. This is genuinely scary, I hope fgm gets completely eradicated and no one ever has to go through this traumatic experience anymore.

  46. I love this, and I’m super proud of you. You’ve always had a passion for writing, and I’m so proud you are pursuing your passion and using it for a good cause. I hope the message gets the right recognition and reaches the right people. Keep it up dear👍🏼

  75. Well written. I could feel the pain through the write-up. You are doing amazing. Looking forward to reading more from you Raheemah

  85. The event itself is traumatic as girls are held down during the procedure.

    Risk and complications increase with the type of procedure and are more severe and prevalent with infibulations.

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