 Welcome to Spotlight Advanced. I'm Bruce Gulland. And I'm Liz Wade. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live. Mercy and Agnes are sisters from Kenya. They are part of the Maasai tribe. They told their story to the organization Equality Now. When they were 10 and 11 years old, they were supposed to take part in a ceremony. This ceremony would celebrate moving from being a girl to a woman. Ceremonies like this are often beautiful and exciting. But Mercy and Agnes were afraid. They knew that this ceremony would also involve cutting their sexual organs. Mercy and Agnes did not want to go through the ceremony. They decided to run away. They received help from some adults they knew. These adults guided them to Tisaru and Tomonok initiative, or TNI. Tisaru means rescue in the local Ma language. There, they met Agnes Pareo. Today's Spotlight is on Agnes Pareo and her work to end female genital mutilation. Women all around the world have experienced female genital mutilation, or FGM. FGM involves cutting a woman's sexual organs. It can involve a small cut or completely cutting off a woman's sexual organs. The World Health Organization estimates that 200 million girls have been cut. There are no medical reasons to cut, and FGM often causes severe pain, extreme bleeding, and infections. Some girls even die. Even if the girl lives, FGM can cause problems with her body and in childbirth. Governments and organizations internationally recognize that FGM is a violation of human rights. However, FGM still happens in many cultures. For many, it is a cultural tradition. People are often strongly attached to these traditions. This is why Agnes Pareo continues her work. Pareo comes from the Masai culture in Kenya. When she was 14, her mother told her she would be cut. Agnes did not want to be cut. Her father supported her, but her village did not support her. They made fun of her and called her names. They said they would never accept her. They said no one would marry her. So Pareo agreed and had her sex organs cut. She bled a lot and was in a lot of pain. But she did not cry because she did not want to look like she was afraid. Masai women are not supposed to show fear. Instead, she felt something else. Pareo told one billion rising. As I lay there after being cut, I made myself a promise. I was going to do everything I could to stop this ever happening to another girl. My daughters would not be cut. And the daughters of the Masai would not be cut. This promise has defined Pareo's life. FGM was banned in Kenya in 2011, but it continues there. Pareo works in Kenya to stop FGM, especially with the Masai. She founded TNI in 1999. It began as a place where girls who ran away from FGM and early marriages could continue their education. But today, two of TNI's most important programs deal with protecting girls from FGM. One of TNI's programs involves different ceremonies for girls to become women. As a member of the Masai tribe, Pareo knows how culturally important FGM is for many women. She wants to offer another choice that protects young girls from FGM but still honors Masai traditions. The traditional ceremony for Masai girls to become women is four days long. The girls dress in their best clothes and wear their most beautiful jewellery. They sing traditional songs, and tribal leaders bless the girls with milk and water. A leader performs FGM on the girls, and at the end of the ceremony, the community welcomes them as women. The new ceremonies honor the beauty of the tradition while stopping the FGM. All of the elements of the traditional custom are the same, except that the girl is not cut. Instead, the girl receives information about the value of education and health. Other organizations also use this method. They keep the good parts of the ceremony, but they replace the cutting with a symbol. Instead of cutting, leaders pour milk on a girl's legs to represent how she has become a woman. Sarah Tenoi is another Masai anti-FGM activist in Kenya. She explains the purpose of these new ceremonies to the Guardian. We know that if we can change everyone's mind, then we will end FGM. Our message is that we are encouraging people to change one part of Masai culture, but not give up all of what makes us proud to be Masai. TNI's other main program is to reconnect girls to their families. Most of the girls who run away from FGM do not want to stay away from their families forever. So Pareo and her coworkers decided to use a traditional Masai reconciliation process to return the girls to their families and their village. This process involves meeting with parents, family members, and other members of the community. Village leaders and other officials also become involved. Everyone works together and promises not to force the girls to be cut. It is a village-wide promise to protect and support the girls. And it welcomes the girls to come home and become part of the village again. Pareo explains to the Huffington Post how important it is for entire communities to be involved in these reconciliation ceremonies. The ceremonies are a public promise by the girls and their families to get them away from FGM, early marriage, and other dangers that they could face when they are young women, when they are extra vulnerable. Six years after they ran away from home, Mercy and Agnes returned to their village through one of these reconciliation ceremonies. They saw their family again and were accepted back into their community. They are no longer afraid of FGM. Changing a culture is a long and difficult process. It involves patience, understanding, and working with many different people. But Pareo continues to work to end FGM in the Masai culture, one girl at a time. What about you? Are there ceremonies in your culture that you would like to change? You can tell us about it on our website. Or email us at radio at radioenglish.net Or find us on facebook at facebook.com slash spotlight radio. The writer of this program was Lauren Anders-Visser. The producer was Michio Ozaki. The voices you heard were from the United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes were adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. You can listen to this program again and read it on the internet at www.radioenglish.net. This program is called Agnes Pareo, ending FGM one girl at a time. Visit our website to download our free official app for Android and Apple devices. We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye!