400 Girls Graduate from Alternative Rite of Passage Program in Bomet

By Festus Ronoh | Bomet

 

Four hundred teenage girls from Bomet East Sub-County have graduated after completing a one-week Alternative Rite of Passage (ARP) program aimed at ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

 

The graduation ceremony was held at Koibeiyon Secondary School, bringing together girls from different parts of the sub-county. The initiative was organized by BET Foundation to promote girls’ rights, education, and well-being.

 

BET Foundation Founder Emily Korir, OAM, said FGM remains a major obstacle to girls’ education and called on the community to abandon harmful cultural practices.

 

“Girls plays an important role in building a better future for children and we must protect them by supporting them to access education and fighting FGM” Mrs. Korir noted.

 

World Youth Ambassador at BET Foundation, Britney Korir, said the ARP and mentorship program focuses on supporting vulnerable girls and addressing challenges they face. She noted that the graduates received reusable sanitary pants that can last up to one year.

 

“In this program we’ve given the 400 graduates latest reusable pants which can last for one year to allow them be in class when they are on menstrual” She noted.

 

BET Foundation Country Director Mourine Chepkemoi said the training empowered the girls by teaching them about their rights, how to report FGM and gender-based violence cases, spiritual guidance, and education-related issues.

 

The program continues to play a key role in safeguarding girls’ futures and promoting alternative cultural practices in Bomet County.