Part 3: Where Girls Find Safety




Photo credit: Al-jazeera 

We ended our Narok trip with a visit to a place that holds both heartbreak and hope — a rescue centre for girls who have escaped early marriage and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). The girls welcomed us with soft smiles and curious eyes. Some were barely teenagers. Others were already carrying the weight of decisions they didn’t choose.

What stood out immediately was how incredibly beautiful they all were. Not just outwardly — though they truly are — but in the quiet strength they carried, in how they sat together, in how they listened, and in the way they were trying, even in silence, to reclaim something of themselves.

The centre doesn’t just offer shelter — it offers pause. A break in the cycle. A breath between what was and what could be.


Photo Credit: Al-jazeera 

We spent time talking, listening, and gently walking through a session on menstrual  hygiene. We laughed over small things. We handed out sanitary pads and new panties — simple items that carry dignity, especially in spaces where so much has been taken too soon.

There was a softness to the moment. You could feel both strength and fragility in the room. These are girls who’ve had to grow up too quickly. But they’re still girls — full of questions, dreams, and a quiet kind of resilience that shows up when you least expect it.

As we left, I found myself thinking: What does justice really look like? Is it rescue? Is it safety? Is it simply being seen?

Whatever it is, I saw pieces of it that day — in the courage of girls who said no, in the compassion of those who took them in, and in the shared silence that said more than words ever could.


Photo Credit: Al-Jazeera 

This post is part of a 3-part series documenting our recent journey to Narok, exploring themes of self-awareness, dignity, and collective healing among women and girls.

Photo credit: Al Jazeera,
Words by: Cyprine Omollo – Curator of the Zaidi ya Ushindi series
With love and courage,
#ZaidiYaUshindi #GirlsVoicesMatter #EndFGM #RestoringDignity

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