What do we, as godparents, do?

We support parents by donating cows to those who agree not to cut their daughters, and we arrange for the Ministry of Agriculture to teach these families how to care for the animals. Heifer offspring will be given to other such families. This project aims to relieve the poverty that underlies the persistence of FGM.

We act as parents when girls resist being cut and their own parents refuse to pay their school fees or attempt to force them to undergo FGM. In 2000, we paid school fees for 23 such girls in Uganda, and in 2001 we are committed to 30 girls.

We visit Uganda to meet the girls whose school fees we are paying, and we correspond with them to encourage and inspire them. Godparents who contribute $300 or more (enough for a year's school fees) are given information about the particular girl they sponsor.

We cooperate with the government of Uganda and other NGOs to educate people in circumcising cultures about the dangers of FGM and to encourage them to stop the practice.

We speak to groups in the U.S. and Uganda about FGM and inform people about how they can help stop it.