Llanor Alleyne
Writer | Editor | Artist
Last week, humanitarian foundation Care.org, of which I am a supporter and fan, posted this video on Twitter in celebration of International Women’s Day. It is the extraordinary story of a young Ethiopian girl who runs away at age 8 in a defiant stance against traditional genital mutilation. Returning to the village in her early 20s, Abay then courageously goes about convincing her entire village to shed the practice.
Since seeing the video more than a week ago, one day has not gone by that I have not thought about it. We all talk a good game about being revolutionary in our thinking, but how many of us actually do something extraordinarily challenging, life changing. Abay is inspiring and epitomizes how an undying love of and commitment to one’s community can dismantle centuries of misguided thinking. Imagine if we all employed her singular vision, commitment, and determination to change one thing where we live? After hearing Abay’s story, it’s not as idealistic as it once seemed.
To learn more about what CARE is doing throughout the world, visit Care.org.
