Before five girls from Kisumu Girls High School came together to create a solution, there was a problem. Female genital mutilation (FGM) has continued to be a topic of discussion around the world, and with all the opinions surrounding the practice, one thing remains certain: it is a non-medical practice with no health benefits. FGM is tied to various cultures globally but it has had detrimental effects on girls and women. There has been noted psychological and emotional effects, complications during birth, and in some cases, some victims have bled to death. Despite being illegal in Kenya, there are still several reports of FGM cases annually.
There comes some power with access to information, and Cynthia Otieno, Mascrine Atieno, Stacy Owino, Ivy Akinyi and Purity Achieng, have seized the power that came from knowing about FGM. All girls have a few things in common, but what brought them together is their love for technology and their passion for restoration. The latter gave rise to their group name ‘The Restorers’, and together they created the application I-Cut.
I-Cut’s purpose is two-fold. On one hand, it seeks to assist girls affected by FGM and on the other, it aims to inform and create conversations about the illegal practice. I-Cut has five features: help, rescue, report, information on FGM, and donate and feedback. The first three features are designed to help girls seek help, find the nearest rescue or medical centres and also allow them to report their situation to authorities close by. The application was well received and beat nine Kenyan semi-finalists to secure a spot at the 2017 Technovation Challenge in August of 2017 in California, USA.
The Restorers were the only African team present at the award ceremony. The Technovation Challenge is an annual competition that invites teams of girls from all over the world to learn and apply skills needed to solve real-world problems through technology. The competition fosters women in tech and provides the teams selected with mentors who guide them in the production of a mobile app.
Early this year the team were flown to Nigeria where they were awarded The African of the Year Award 2018. They also received a cash prize and a plaque was designed in their honour. We applaud these girls for their dedication to community and their efforts to help those in need at home #Kenya
