*A subject that might not be the easiest to read - yet it deserves to be written.
Lucy came into the studio glowing from her recent graduation and full of joy. As we progressed through her story, it became evident that the memories of what she had experienced were still plaguing her, despite everything she had accomplished.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is one of those topics that isn't very easy to address. Prior to coming to Daystar, I had heard of this atrocity but thought it mostly lost in the past. FGM was outlawed years ago due to the mental and physical damages it causes among women, but still to this day is practiced among some Maasai tribes. Lucy and some of our other female scholarship students have endured this practice.
As Lucy approached the subject in her interview, I watched her joyful face turn to tears by the memories left. It was at this moment that I also began to shed tears as the reality of all she had been through hit me. As I turned off the camera, I hugged her and we both proceeded to cry for many minutes. Below is one of the most heartbreaking yet inspiring interviews I've ever done:
Although Lucy still had to experience this act in her life, some good did come of it. She came to Daystar and gained an education - gained power. Now she has returned to her tribe as an example that women can overcome and are worth so much more than history dictates. Your support turned a horrendous act into something of worth - something that can now save others. Our support and awareness is what we can do to help.
Jay Barnes, a DUS board member and President Emeritus of Bethel University, also discovered the truth about FGM on one of his trips to Kenya. He has shared a bit about what he learned and how Daystar is combatting this practice: