Hawa Traore:   ‘FGM is still a taboo here; it is difficult to dispute this scourge openly. The persons who you are supposed to educate are ashamed to debate such a topic. We women are suffering silently because we dare not to raise the voice.   in ouI society women are taught to be submitted and therefore cannot make any important decisions even about their own life, we live like that since the time of our ancestors.  Seeing the misdeeds of this practice, it is appropriate to change the mentality and habit in order to eradicate it.’

Kadiatou Traore:   ‘Excision is generally done at home and it can often occurs some complicated cases like bleeding which can also result to the death if the person is not immediately sent to hospital. With all these risks people continue to practice excision saying it is part of our tradition. I know that it will be difficult to stamp it out right now because people are strongly linked to it saying it is part of their tradition.

My sincere thank go to the initiators of this project because it can not only save our girls from this abhorrent practice but it also an economic relieve for us. This gift of goats is really beneficial given the condition of poverty in which we live. The breeding and the selling of the goats will allow us to meet the needs our families.’

Tenin Traore:  ‘About what I heard on the FGM, it is necessary to help fight against it. The midwife use to tell us that excision cause maternal mortality due to the complication during child birth. It can also be the cause of infectious sicknesses because of the non-sterilized materials that the old women use to cut.  We are lucky to have a project which is focus on the fight against Female Genital Mutilation. I particularly would like that my sisters understand that a young girl can live better her life without being excised.’

These interviews with women who a few months ago agreed not to cut their daughters in return for a goat, was done  by Kadi Tangara in January 2013.   She translated from the local Bamaro language to French and then to English.