Safa is not alone.
There is a woman wrapped in a long black robe with her, speaking to her and gesticulating. Who is this person, and where has she come from?
“Safa! Safa!” I shout as loudly as I can. I wave both arms. “Safa!”
I carry on running, further, faster – always with my eyes fixed on the menacing woman who is now forcing Safa through the battered wooden door and into the shack.
Panting, I pull at the door. It opened quite easily before, but now it’s locked. I pound on the wood as hard as I can with both fists.
“Safa! Safa! Are you in there? Open the door!" I shout with all my might.
I hear Safa call for help. And then a shrill cry rings out.
I sat up with a jolt and rubbed my sweat-drenched face with both hands. I slowly opened my eyes, which are swollen and still filled with tears.
(Abstract of the book “Saving Safa – Rescuing a little girl from FGM” by Waris Dirie)
Safa played the part of little Waris in the movie Desert Flower. She was the first girl to be rescued from female genital mutilation by Waris Dirie and the Desert Flower Foundation.
Thanks to your support, we have already saved over 1000 girls from FGM - but millions of girls are still waiting for our help.
Every 11 seconds, a girl is genital mutilated.
This terrible crime has to stop!
Save today a girl from this terrible fate and become a sponsor of a little Desert Flower!
