Here comes a post by Andrea Morris:
"Having chosen the location for my vacation wisely, I had the privilege of experiencing extraordinary meetings last week in Valencia."
I had the chance to meet Aminata, the founder of the Red Aminata Foundation, and also had a meeting with Siaka Traoré.
Aminata, coming from a poor family of thirty, was married off at 17, as this meant one less hungry mouth to feed at home. Her husband, originally from Mali, awaited her in Spain, and in the first few days, he frightened her by saying that in Europe, if a wife does not obey her husband, death awaits her. (At that time, there was news of a wife murder in the daily newspapers.)
Aminata is a multiple victim of female genital mutilation (FGM), child marriage, and domestic violence. She endured her "slavery" in Spain for years before she eventually started her journey toward freedom. Today, she is a single mother of three and the respected leader of the Red Aminata Foundation, dedicated to fighting against FGM, child marriages, and violence against women. Her foundation runs awareness programs among migrants about the harmful effects of FGM and educates them on how they can remain true to their African culture while leaving the harmful tradition behind. Aminata is a strong, self-aware, and cheerful African woman in Spain! I'm glad I had the chance to meet her.
Another important meeting took place with Siaka Traoré, the president of our partner organization Sini Sanuman, with whom we carried out the "Girls' Cause" program in the Sansfil district and are jointly building the House of Hope in Bamako. Siaka is spending a month in Valencia at Aminata’s invitation, where he is speaking to local African men about FGM.
I had an extensive discussion with Siaka about the furnishings of the Gedeon Richter-Sini Sanuman House of Hope and the conditions for launching activities. This was also a very important meeting, as given the current circumstances, it is not certain whether we will be able to travel to Mali. Therefore, we need to organize the details remotely.
We also discussed the continuation of our "Girls' Cause" program in the Sansfil district. The focus for the coming months will be on these initiatives.
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Moreover, yesterday marked the start of the 16-day campaign to reduce violence against women.
Thank you!"
Andrea Morris
