Intern Spotlight: Fundraising and Auction Intern Elaina Baliner
Sahiyo’s Fundraising and Auction Intern Elaina Baliner is a recent graduate of The Ohio State University where she earned a Bachelors of Science in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences with a minor in Biology. A passionate global health equity advocate, Elaina actively seeks to maximize positive impact and close health equity gaps. Currently living in France for her gap year, Elaina is working to become fluent in French before pursuing a masters degree in Global Health Economics with the hopes of decentralizing global health funding to enhance resource accessibility for implementing organizations. In her free time, Elaina enjoys teaching yoga and being in nature. Elaina is thrilled to join an organization that empowers all people and to be a part of the solution to end FGC. When and how did you first get involved with Sahiyo? I began working with Sahiyo in July after coming across their internship posting on LinkedIn. At the time, I was actively searching for an opportunity to work in nonprofit funding to build my skills before pursuing a master’s in global health economics. Before discovering Sahiyo, I was aware of the practice of female genital cutting (FGC) in parts of Africa and Asia, but I had no idea it was still occurring within communities in the United States. This realization really struck me, and Sahiyo’s mission to end FGC resonated deeply with me. As someone dedicated to advancing global health equity—particularly in areas related to gender-based violence (GBV)—I felt a natural alignment with Sahiyo’s work. As a woman myself, I am also deeply passionate about ensuring that women’s rights and voices are heard. I vividly remember being genuinely excited for my interview, eager to learn more about Sahiyo’s initiatives and hopeful for the opportunity to contribute to an organization working to end such a significant human rights violation. What does your work with Sahiyo involve? As a Fundraising and Auction Intern, my work primarily focuses on supporting the funding efforts for Sahiyo’s programs. This includes researching potential funding opportunities, writing grant proposals, and assisting with donor relations and fundraising events, such as our end-of-year Season of Giving campaign. I also contribute to donor engagement strategies and create graphic designs to help enhance our individual giving campaigns. Additionally, I’ve contributed toward building and soliciting packages for our annual Celebrate Her: Silent Auction and Comedy Show, working to secure sponsors and make the event a continued success. How has your involvement with Sahiyo impacted your life? My involvement with Sahiyo has profoundly impacted me, opening my eyes to the sheer number of women worldwide who are survivors of female genital cutting—regardless of what country they live in. It has taught me the power of storytelling. I’ve had the distinct honor of hearing some survivors’ stories firsthand, witnessing their bravery and resilience. This experience has shown me just how essential storytelling is in public engagement and the value of empowering individuals to be effective storytellers, specially when garnering support for addressing widespread, systemic issues. In just two months, I have learned a great deal about movement building, the importance of a strong network, and the power of individual donor support. With Sahiyo, I’ve also gained practical skills, such as streamlining the grant application process and effectively engaging with businesses for our upcoming silent auction. What stays with me the most is my new awareness of how many women and girls endure this practice daily—and how little training and understanding medical providers have about FGC. As I look to pursue a career in global health, this knowledge will undoubtedly shape my priorities, especially when advocating for funding and resources. What words of wisdom would you like to share with others who may be interested in supporting Sahiyo and the movement against FGC? Sahiyo makes it easy for anyone to get involved, and there are so many ways to support if you’re interested. If you don’t have the financial means to donate or the time to commit as a full volunteer or intern, you can still engage by attending one of our virtual educational events—even spending just an hour with us can leave a lasting impact. Organizations like Sahiyo work tirelessly to address the issue of female genital cutting from every possible angle. Everybody here is committed to improving support for survivors, pushing for policy change, engaging more people to raise their voices against FGC, and ultimately ending this practice. But we can’t do it alone—we need the support of our community. If you’re passionate about ending FGC, then focus your efforts on supporting an organization like Sahiyo that is driving real, impactful change. Whether it’s spreading awareness, attending events, or contributing in any way you can, your support is crucial for us to continue this important work. Related links: How to donate to Sahiyo U.S. Here’s how you can volunteer with Sahiyo U.S.
Donor Spotlight: Brad Mazon
Brad Mazon, PhD, is a Bhaiyo volunteer, nonprofit consultant, husband, father, and an advocate against female genital mutilation/cutting worldwide. When and how did your involvement with Sahiyo first begin? My involvement first began I would say two or so years ago when I found Sahiyo on social media. I became actively engaged when I donated to the annual International Women’s Day fundraiser and Comedy Show. But I’ve been involved with the issue of FGM since 1988 when I was an intern at the U.S. State Department in Somalia. I have come in and out of working on the issue, through various organizations, so when Sahiyo and the Bhaiyo program came onto my radar about two years ago, I became a donor and have remained involved ever since. Why did you decide to donate to Bhaiyo, Sahiyo’s male engagement program? My time working in Somalia and my upbringing really influenced my decision to donate. I attended a conference in Mogadishu, Somalia. It was all women who had been impacted by FGM. This event made a huge impression on me because a lot of the women I met with reminded me of my mother. I was raised by a single mother and I have always been in awe of her strength and resilience. It was the same strength and resilience that I saw in women I met at the conference. I realized very quickly that had my mother been in a situation where she was cut, she likely would have never been able to provide for me and for my family the way she did. I began to understand how FGM impacts women not just physically but also psychologically and socially. It wasn’t that these women weren’t as smart or as motivated as my mother was – it was that the opportunities to thrive had been taken from them by the patriarchy that surrounded them. I also understand that the impacts of FGM are different in different contexts. Being cut in Somalia may be different from being cut in the American Midwest, but…being cut anywhere is a violation of women’s autonomy and an act of patriarchy. Why do you feel it’s so important to support male engagement and voices within the movement to end FGM/C? There’s no sex that’s greater than the other. I believe that I am an anti-patriarchy and feminist man. At the end of the day, as I have gotten older and have become a father and now a grandfather to a little girl, I have realized – and certainly living in America right now – how strong the patriarchy is on so many things. I resent in my heart, mind, and soul that men think that they have some sort of power over women. I wanted to do something as a man, coming from a male perspective that could combat that false narrative. That’s why Bhaiyo was so exciting to me. On my first call with the group, it was with men from around the world who were doing the frontline work of going into villages and speaking to people about the dangers of FGM [and] of what it could do to their little girls. I was thrilled to be a part of that work through donating. But at the same time, I was very mindful, and still am, of my white privilege and also my Western privilege in the same sense. And when I say privilege, I mean it in a structural and economic way, because I know there is beauty, wisdom, and knowledge in Africa and Asia. I wanted to be mindful of that as I engaged in conversations with these male activists who I have great respect for. But I also wanted them to be mindful that while it’s important for men to be in the conversation, women still need to be supported to speak out at an equal level. We can do that in many ways, big and small. I’ve started changing the hashtag I use in posts from #menendFGM to #menandwomenendFGM. What I’m trying to say here is that while it’s great that we’ve got men involved, let’s not do it in a way that pushes women out. How would you like to see Bhaiyo and Sahiyo grow? I think in terms of Bhaiyo, the main thing we need is more men involved. I’ve tried to do this in my circles by sharing the survey on my Linkedin and with various people in my life. I’m always shocked at how many men aren’t involved. I also feel like we need to make FGM more well-known in the U.S. through any means necessary. We need some celebrity to get men fired up about this. Or even more high-level people in our government talking about FGM. But I’m also under no illusions that I’m doing the hard work. I know those gentlemen on the frontlines going from village to village spreading this message who are the ones pushing this work, and they have my full support and respect. I also know that getting this issue into the rooms of power in the U.S. and the world beyond is key to this movement, and we can do that by talking about FGM loudly. Why do you think others should donate to Sahiyo? I think more people should donate to Sahiyo because people don’t realize that FGM is an issue that has a tremendous impact on the world. It’s shocking to me how FGM is such a quiet menace not only to survivors but also to men who are affected by it – with their wives and sexual pleasure – or the ability to have children. I’m just surprised how it’s a form of violence, yet it’s one that seemingly the world is not comfortable talking about publicly. I also want people to understand that FGM is a form of domestic violence. In the same way that we talk about abuse and other harms against women, FGM needs to be included in those conversations. And we
Sahiyo’s Second Annual Silent Auction & Comedy Show Reflection
Thank you to everyone who participated in Sahiyo’s 2nd annual Women’s Day Celebration & Silent Auction! We are truly grateful for the show of support. With the help of our incredible donors and supporters, we raised over $13K. Our five-day celebration of women’s voices began on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, by opening our virtual auction stacked with some incredible donations from our supporters. Then we enjoyed a fun and interactive virtual live comedy show featuring incredible comedians, Zahra Noorbakhsh, Weyam Ghadbian, Pallavi Gunalan, and Mita Patel. Throughout the rest of the week, we highlighted talented women by sharing their gifts of inspiration, poetry, artwork, and much more on our social media platforms. We are especially appreciative of our sponsors who helped make this event possible: WeSpeakOut, Raziudin & Latifa Moosajee, and Tabassum Zalotrawala. Save the date for Sahiyo’s 3rd annual fundraising event which will be held March 5 – 9, 2025! Visit our website for more information or to sign up today.
Sahiyo’s Silent Auction Donor Spotlight: Arefa Cassoobhoy
Starting March 6th, Sahiyo will be hosting its second annual Women’s Day Celebration & Silent Auction with the goal of raising $15,000 in support of our work to end female genital cutting. The auction will open on Wednesday, March 6th and close on Sunday, March 10th. During this five-day fundraising event, we’ll celebrate women’s voices with comedy, video spotlights, stories, and entertainment. We’re incredibly grateful to all of our generous sponsors and supporters who have contributed some wonderful auction items. To uplift their work and thank them, we’re highlighting a few and why they support Sahiyo. And if you, too, would like to contribute in some way, click here to donate auction items, money, or sponsor the event. Today we’re profiling Arefa Cassoobhoy, who served as the chair of the Sahiyo U.S. advisory board in 2021-2023. She is also a board certified internal medicine physician and has held various senior editing and writing roles at the likes of Everyday Health, WebMD, and Medscape. When and how did your involvement with Sahiyo first begin? I discovered Sahiyo’s website online when I was researching FGC for my work at WebMD and Medscape back in 2018. There was an excellent media resource guide for reporting on FGC and I decided to reach out to speak with Mariya Taher, the U.S. Executive Director to learn more. She was incredibly helpful with the articles and videos and we stayed connected afterwards. We then met at the American Public Health Association national meeting and by 2019 I had joined Sahiyo’s U.S. Advisory Board. Why did you decide to donate to Sahiyo’s silent auction? What does the event mean to you? I’ve worked with Mariya and her team for a few years now, and I have been impressed by how much work they do and also the breadth of their work. From educating healthcare professionals and providing support for survivors, [to] addressing legal issues, planning Activist Retreats and the Voices to End FGM/C workshops, it’s a lot for a small organization. They’ve done a great job building on their successes so every year they’re expanding and fine tuning their projects. So I feel like the money is really well spent. The more they’re able to do, the better. The silent auction and comedy show are a great way to expose more people through a fun event to Sahiyo’s work. I’m looking forward to having people over to my house and sharing with them information about FGC. What did you donate? I’m committed to Sahiyo and their work and give a monthly recurring donation. Also this year I’ve bought a VIP watch party ticket for the Women’s Day Celebration comedy show. I’ve catered the meal from a local nonprofit and have invited guests who I hope will take advantage of the many great items listed in the silent auction portion of the celebration! Many have already donated generously. How would you like to see your donation help Sahiyo grow? I hope it helps in continuing to grow existing programs at Sahiyo. I really appreciate their multi pronged approach of educating healthcare providers so that appropriate care can be given to survivors in the U.S. And also how Sahiyo encourages conversations that allow people to talk about [FGC], especially the Voices to End FGM/C workshop. I think there’s a lot of healing that happens there, and ultimately stopping FGC from happening to more people. And with Mariya’s leadership, and all the other staff members, they really listen to people. So when someone brings up an idea, they remember it, they make notes. and they follow up. They’ll create a project or a program on a small scale, and then refine it before expanding it. That has given me a lot of confidence that the projects and programs that come out of Sahiyo are really thoughtful and scalable. They truly reflect what the audience is asking for and their needs and wants. They don’t rush it. So I hope my donation helps Sahiyo as they are expanding. Related: Read about our other inspiring supporters in our Silent Auction Donor Spotlight 2024 series
Sahiyo’s Silent Auction Donor Spotlight: Kaneez Madraswalla
Sahiyo U.S. will host its second annual Women’s Day Celebration & Silent Auction with the goal of raising $15,000 in support of our work to end female genital cutting. The auction will open on Wednesday, March 6th, 2024 and close on Sunday, March 10th, 2024. During this five-day fundraising event, we’ll celebrate women’s voices with comedy, video spotlights, stories, and entertainment. We’re incredibly grateful to all of our generous sponsors and supporters who have contributed some wonderful auction items. To uplift their work and thank them, we’re highlighting a few and why they support Sahiyo as a part of larger series. And if you, too, would like to contribute in some way, click here to donate auction items, money, or sponsor the event. Yesterday, we profiled Zehra Patwa. Today, we’d like to introduce our second donor: Kaneez Madraswalla. Kaneez is Sahiyo’s U.S. Advisory Board Member and a trained lawyer. She works as the Vice-President of Compliance at QBE North America, where she also co-leads the QBE Women’s Initiative Network. Kaneez believes that participating in volunteer work allows individuals to contribute meaningfully to their communities while fostering personal growth, empathy, and empowers women to support and uplift each other, and is passionate about embodying this in her involvement with Sahiyo and other activism. When and how did your involvement with Sahiyo first begin? I first became aware of Sahiyo and its mission through my conversations with a Board member, Zehra Patwa, almost ten years ago. Why did you decide to become a donor for Sahiyo’s Silent Auction? What does giving to Sahiyo mean to you? As a newly inducted Board member, I wanted to make an impact by raising awareness of the issue and normalizing conversations surrounding the mission of Sahiyo. Giving to Sahiyo represents a commitment to ending a harmful practice, supporting survivors, empowering women and girls, and advocating for positive change in communities affected by FGC – especially the Dawoodi Bohra community, of which I am a member. What did you donate or contribute? I am hosting a watch party at my home with an expected attendance of 30 people. How would you like to see your donation help Sahiyo grow? While I understand the money raised will help Sahiyo programming and outreach, I am most excited about raising awareness of this issue and introducing others to Sahiyo and its work. Why do you think others should donate to Sahiyo? One of the things I look for when I donate to an organization, other than its mission, is to see the direct impact my contribution has and what it means to the organization. Sahiyo is a small, grassroots organization where every dollar counts. It is spearheaded by folks who are so very passionate about Sahiyo’s mission and are deeply committed to making a difference! Related: Read about our other inspiring supporters in our Silent Auction Donor Spotlight 2024 series Sahiyo welcomes Kaneez Madraswalla as new U.S. Advisory Board Member
Sahiyo’s Silent Auction Donor Spotlight: Zehra Patwa
Sahiyo U.S. will host its second annual Women’s Day Celebration & Silent Auction with the goal of raising $15,000 in support of our work to end female genital cutting. The auction will open on Wednesday, March 6th, 2024 and close on Sunday, March 10th, 2024. During this five-day fundraising event, we’ll celebrate women’s voices with comedy, video spotlights, stories, and entertainment. We’re incredibly grateful to all of our generous sponsors and supporters who have contributed some wonderful auction items. To uplift their work and thank them, we’re highlighting a few and why they support Sahiyo. And if you, too, would like to contribute in some way, click here to donate auction items, money, or sponsor the event. Today, we’re profiling Zehra Patwa, who serves on Sahiyo’s U.S. Advisory Board. She is also the co-founder of WeSpeakOut, an organization that advocates for Bohra women and their rights. WeSpeakOut is particularly focused on ending FGM/C in the Bohra community and banning it altogether. When and how did your involvement with Sahiyo first begin? After I found out that khatna (FGC) was happening in my community, my cousin put me in touch with a WhatsApp group of several Bohra women [in 2015], which included the founders of Sahiyo as well as the future founder of WeSpeakOut. I was intrigued because I had never heard anybody talk about the practice like this. All the conversations I’d previously had about cutting with female members of my family were like, “It just happens. You just do it and you just move on with your life.” But in this WhatsApp group, people were talking about how to stop this generations-old practice. It was really refreshing to be with a group of Bohra women who were not going to take it any longer and were like, “we’re not going to let this happen to our daughters. We’re not going to let it happen to any girls.” Typically, Bohra people are quite compliant – we tend to be peaceful and don’t want to rock the boat. We’re afraid of what people might think, so the conversations in this group were very powerful. So, that’s how it all started, and now I’m on the Advisory Board! Mariya [Taher] has been an incredible inspiration. She has really helped me develop as an activist, and the Activist Retreat in particular has helped me. I think the retreat has been one of the highlights for me personally in my activism, so, that’s why we need the auction to keep these programs going. Why did you decide to become a donor for Sahiyo’s Women’s Day Celebration and Silent Auction again? What does giving to Sahiyo mean to you? I have been connected with Sahiyo since close to its inception and I’ve seen what an impact it’s made, and continues to make. Sahiyo as an organization has become so well-organized and expansive in its reach, and through its work, many people are recognizing that FGC is a practice that happens right here in the US. The more impactful Sahiyo becomes, the fewer girls get cut and the more girls are protected. I know many people have benefited from Sahiyo’s programs, survivors and activists alike. As activists, we very often keep on, burn out, rest, and then do it all over again, but Sahiyo and programs like the Activist Retreat have allowed us to carry on and not get burned out. It’s really important to know that there is support out there as that keeps these important conversations going. What did you donate or contribute this year? I’m hosting a watch party again this year and my two artist friends are working on pieces for the auction. They both donated pieces last year, both of which were very popular so I’m excited to see what they come up with this year! How would you like to see your donations help Sahiyo grow? I’d like to see Sahiyo become an independent nonprofit. I think by being an independent nonprofit, we’ll be able to do so much more in terms of certain grants and certain programs that we can apply to. Being a fiscally sponsored nonprofit limits us a little bit and I think we’ve grown to a point where we’re really ready to become independent. I think we’re in a really good place and that will then extend our reach even more and allow us to have that kind of wider exposure, which would lead to greater social change. Why do you think others should donate to Sahiyo? Everyone should donate to Sahiyo because it is doing such good work that impacts so many people. I think the impact is even greater than we recognize because this practice is such an underground issue. It’s not something people openly talk about, but I’ve had people pull me aside to tell me, “I can’t say anything publicly, but I really support the work you do.” And that’s really powerful. So I think there are a lot more people impacted by the work than we even know and I think that will really help to eliminate the practice down the road. By supporting Sahiyo, more people can be reached and even if people don’t admit in public that they won’t cut their daughters, if they decide to stop the practice in their families, this harmful traditional practice will eventually die out. Related: Zehra Patwa on Sahiyo and the Coalition to End FGM/C’s recent panel discussion with Connecticut legislators – and why it was a positive step forward I don’t remember my khatna. But it feels like a violation Read about our other inspiring supporters in our Silent Auction Donor Spotlight 2024 series
Sahiyo’s Second Annual Women’s Day Celebration and Silent Auction
Silent Auction & Celebration: March 6-10, 2024 Live Virtual Comedy Show: March 7, 2024 Donate auction items: https://bit.ly/24AuctionDonation Sponsor the event: https://bit.ly/SponsorSahiyo Sahiyo is planning our second annual Women’s Day Celebration and Silent Auction to raise $15K in support of our work to end female genital cutting. The auction and celebration will begin on Wednesday, March 6, 2024 and end on Sunday, March 10, 2024. During this five-day event, we will celebrate women’s voices with video spotlights, stories, and entertainment. This program includes a Comedy Show taking place on March 7th at 5pm PST/ 8pm EST. We have a stellar line-up of comedians for the show, including Zahra Noorbakhsh, Weyam Ghadbian, Pallavi Gunalan, and Mita Patel. You can buy tickets now. You can also support this amazing event by hosting a VIP Watch Party, where you can invite your friends and family to enjoy the show and learn more about what we do here at Sahiyo. This option also includes Sahiyo party favors as well as a toolkit with templates and materials to help you plan your party. We hope you’ll join us for a fantastic evening of comedy and community in support of an incredible cause! Learn more about these fantastic comedians and purchase your tickets here. For more information about, donating auction items, submitting a video for the program, purchasing Comedy Show tickets, or sponsoring this event, please contact Sahiyo Development Director, Michelle Taylor at michelle@sahiyo.org.
Sahiyo’s Second Annual Silent Auction and Comedy Show
Live Virtual Comedy Show: Thursday, March 7, 2024 Silent Auction: March 6 – March 10, 2024 We are planning Sahiyo’s 2nd annual Women’s Day Celebration & Silent Auction to raise $15K in support of our work to end female genital cutting. The auction will open on Wednesday, Mar. 6, 2024 and close on Sunday, Mar. 10, 2024. During this 5-day event, we will celebrate women’s voices with video spotlights, stories, and entertainment. For more information about the event, donating auction items, participating in the program, purchasing Comedy Show tickets, or sponsoring this event, please contact Sahiyo Development Director, Michelle Taylor at michelle@sahiyo.org.
Reflecting on Sahiyo’s International Women’s Day Celebration & Silent Auction
Thank you to everyone who participated in Sahiyo’s inaugural International Women’s Day Celebration & Silent Auction! We are truly grateful for the show of support. With the help of our incredible donors and supporters, we raised over $14K. Our five-day celebration of women’s voices began on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, with a fun and interactive virtual live comedy show featuring incredible comedians, Zahra Noorbakhsh, Marga Gomez, Pallavi Gunalan, and Zahra Ali. Throughout the rest of the week, we highlighted talented women by sharing their gifts of poetry, artwork, dance, and much more on our social media platforms. During this celebration, we were also thrilled to present a fantastic virtual silent auction, and we’re grateful to our supporters for the wonderful donations. We are especially appreciative of our sponsors who helped make this event possible: Tabassum Zalotrawala, Mahamitra Group LLC, Raziudin & Latifa Moosajee, and WeSpeakOut. Save the date for Sahiyo’s 2nd Annual Women’s Day Celebration & Silent Auction, which will be held March 6-10, 2024! Visit our website for more information or to sign up today.
Sahiyo’s International Women’s Day Celebration & Silent Auction Donor Spotlight: Doris Mukangu of the Amani Women Center
Starting March 8th, International Women’s Day, Sahiyo U.S. will be hosting a virtual silent auction to raise funds and awareness for our programs and services to end female genital cutting (FGC). The auction will open on Wednesday, March 8th, 9am PST/ 12pm EST and close on Sunday, March 12th, 6pm PST/ 9pm EST. We have some amazing sponsors and auction items have been provided by our supporters., To uplift and thank them for their contribution, we’re highlighting who they are and why they support Sahiyo. Can you tell us more about how Amani Women Center and your work within the FGM/C sphere came to be? The Amani Women Center (AWC) provides culturally tailored programs and services that empower and contribute to the economic security, spiritual, mental, and physical well-being of refugee and immigrant women. AWC serves communities where FGM/C is prevalent. What is your connection to the issue of FGM/C? I was co-author on a research study that AWC conducted in partnership with National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at The University of Chicago and the CDC on African refugee women based in Clarkston, Georgia. “The Women’s Health Needs Study of US women from countries with high prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: design, methods, and participant characteristics” – still in process to be published. We found that over 50% of the women who participated in this study have undergone FGM/C. During the study, there was a cry for help from these women to support their medical and emotional needs. What is your SOS initiative? Amani’s Save Our Sisters (SOS) initiative seeks to secure medical care for refugee women in Clarkston, GA suffering from serious health problems caused by FGM/C. By purchasing our cloth button items (necklaces, bookmarks, hair clips and pins, magnets), proudly handcrafted by refugee women at the Amani Sewing Academy, you are helping refugee women access life-changing medical services, including restorative surgery. Each item is one of a kind and will therefore vary from the pictures. Please check them out here. We established a team of compassionate women physicians and a capable counselor as part of our team; our Community Ambassadors serve as interpreters as well, and we educate and support. It is a slow process to which we are unfailingly committed. We are delighted to have had the first vaginal surgery which was very successful and freeing for the woman involved. How did you first hear about Sahiyo and what did you donate? I first heard about Sahiyo through Arefa Cassoobhoy. We donated five beautiful hand-crafted fabric button necklaces proudly made by refugee women. Why did you choose to donate to Sahiyo’s silent auction? AWC is donating to Sahiyo because we believe in the mission and vision to stop FGM/C. This aligns and compliments our mission to provide medical and mental health support to who have gone through FGM/C. How would you like to see your donation help Sahiyo grow? AWC believes in your call to action to end FGM/C. Incredible progress has been made, but so much more can be done together. AWC would like to see the donations support your efforts to raise funds to expand awareness for your mission. How can organizations like Amani Women Center and Sahiyo collaborate to achieve our common goal of ending FGM/C? We can do exactly what we are doing now, standing together to bring awareness to end FGM/C.