Film screening "In Search ..."
"I hope one day I will wake up and FGM has gone" (Beryl Magoko)
What is the project about?
Our main aim is to reduce and even eradicate Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) in countries where this ritual is practised.
We want to use the medium of film, especially in rural areas with an initial focus on Africa, to reach as many people as possible and raise awareness about FGM/C and its consequences. We want to be a platform for open communication about this taboo subject.
From the beginning, Beryl Magoko’s idea was to use the mobile cinema to fight against FGM/C by showing her documentaries “The Cut” and “In Search…” in the villages where the ritual is practised in order to inform, educate and stimulate debate on the subject.
In order to inform the target audience as widely as possible about the issue, and to allow as much time as possible for discussion and debate after the screening, we have decided to cut a new version of the two films, rather than showing both.
This film will help open doors for the activists and social workers who will be travelling with the Moving Cinema. They are very important to help the audience – who are usually confronted with their trauma when watching films on this taboo subject. Discussions with the audience should therefore take place in small groups or even one-on-one.
We want to involve as many groups of people as possible, because change can only happen if everyone is involved in an in-depth discussion about FGM/C. This includes girls, women, boys, men, circumcisers and elders.
Ideally, this project will not only significantly reduce future cutting, but also provide a way for women who have already undergone the practice to come to terms with the trauma by ‘talking about it’.
The screenings in Kenya will be a pilot project and there will be an evaluation of the project from the outset. This will help us to make the project as effective as possible and to apply it to other regions and countries where FGM/C is practised.
How do we proceed?
To ensure the long-term success of our projects, we adhere to the following principles:
Collaboration
with local experts
Local experts, ideally speaking the local language, will lead all local screenings, talks and discussions. Apart from Beryl Magoko and Antonia Waskowiak, we, the organizing team from Germany, will stay in the background. We will not even travel to the villages.
Collaboration
with local NGOs
We will be working with local NGOs who are either already working in this area of FGM/C or who will help with technical support and logistics for the screenings.
Tazama is not the only NGO working against FGM/C. There are many others with different approaches. We are looking for other NGOs and partners to work with. The main objective is to end FGM/C.
As the majority of us (Tazama members) are European, we will listen carefully to Africans who have much more personal experience in regard with FGM/C.
That is why Beryl Magoko, a survivor herself, is and will remain our chairperson.
Measuring Impact
Impact measurement will not only help us to continually improve the project and achieve sustainable impact. The data collected will be
analysed by our specialists and will also form the basis for further scaling. It will also enable us to provide information on the progress of the project to our founders, donors, experts and other stakeholders.
Project Team
➤ FGM Experts
Beryl Magoko
Filmmaker Beryl Magoko grew up in a rural village in Kenya. As a young girl, she thought that all women in the world had to undergo FGM/C (Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting). She endured this initiation ritual without realising the serious consequences it would have on her life.
In her documentaries “The Cut” and “In Search…“, she explores the emotional dilemma through conversations with other women who have had similar experiences. She studied at Kampala University in Uganda and at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne (KHM) in Germany. Beryl is the initiator of the project, the expert consultant and the public face of the project.
Antonia Waskowiak
Antonia Sophia Waskowiak is a dedicated community development professional, currently serving as the managing director of the charitable organization, Zinduka e.V. Her journey began in 2011 when she embarked on a volunteer service trip to Kenya, igniting her passion for making a positive impact. Today, she devotes the majority of her time to Kenya, where she plays a pivotal role in managing and spearheading Zinduka’s projects aimed at eradicating female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage.
As an integral member of the organization, Antonia resides on-site, assuming the crucial responsibilities of an operations and fundraising director. Her strategic expertise and commitment contribute significantly to the continued success of Zinduka’s initiatives.
Antonia’s profound knowledge and experience in the field make her a consulting expert for Tazama e.V.
Ines Kohl
Dr. Ines Kohl is an Austrian social anthropologist and was a research associate at the Austrian Academy of Sciences and a guest lecturer at national and international universities from 2005 to 2015. She conducted research in Libya and Niger and is the author of several books and numerous articles on Tuareg and transnational mobility in the Sahara. She has been project coordinator since 2018 and program director of Aktion Regen since 2019 with projects on women’s empowerment, family planning education, sexual & reproductive health and FGM/C education in Africa. She is chairperson of Amina (Active for People in Need Austria) and co-founder of IMARAN, Association Autriche-Niger. Ines is a consulting expert in this project.
➤ Organisational Team
Andreas Frowein
Andreas Frowein is a producer and lecturer – for a number of years in Uganda.
He has worked as a filmmaker, lecturer and author for many decades. His last documentaries were primarily for NGOs based mainly in Africa. He was the producer and supervisor for Beryl Magoko’s the film “The Cut” and supported Beryl’s film “In Search“ in various functions.
Ina Soth
Ina Soth’s design background has laid the foundation for her creative and solution-oriented vein and has been enriched over the years with expertise from the fields of innovation management, project management, mediation and sociology. As a former strategic innovation consultant, she now wants to use her expertise in a different context and make a contribution to society. That’s why Ina now works within the framework of the democracy support program “Zusammenhalt durch Teilhabe” and supports the Tazama project.
Jeremiah Kipainoi
Jeremiah Kipainoi is a Kenyan citizen whose native Maasai tribe has one of the highest FGM numbers in East Africa. He is an award-winning journalist and Communications expert who works with activists and journalists to end FGM across 14 countries in East, Central and West Africa.
Nancy Moraa
Nancy Moraa is a surviver of FGM. After studying social work in Kenya she worked for trade unions in the departments of equality and training for women. Later in Kassel (Germany) she studied labor policy and globalisation. “I believe that women don’t need to find a voice, they have a voice, and they need to feel empowered to use it.”
➤ Design
Renée de Boer
Renée de Boer stands for design and change. For many years she has been helping companies and coaches to find their own design and their own brand. She wants to create a radiant, vibrant face with multiple expressions. Renee is an advocate for social issues and already supported the film “In Search…” with her design skills and is now responsible for the design of Tazama, but also for the design tasks that arise during the project.
➤ Impact Messaurement
Ina Soth
In addition to the organisational tasks within the project, Ina Soth is – together with Cecilia Wangui Mugo – also responsible for measuring the impact of the project. In doing so, she follows the Phineo standard.
Cecilia Wangui Mugo
Cecilia Wangui Mugo is the programming director of Zinduka and a founding member of the Kenyan organization. She has been working in the end-FGM campaigns since 2010 in Migori County. Her expertise from working on the ground and undergoing several trainings on participatory development have intensively developed the programs from Zinduka. Before joining Zinduka, she worked with local and international organizations aiming to suppoprt the abandonment of FGM in Kuria, Kisii and Narok. Wangui’s educational background is in mass communication, public relations, community development and empowerment, and youth-coaching. Cecilia’s wish is to provide a safe, peaceful and enjoyable environment for women and girls where they can live freely without fear or intimidation of any culture or person.
To the Tazama project, she will be a valuable source in terms of local networks, being an end-FGM expert, and consultutant on the ground for all community challenges.
Partner Organisations
THE RAIN WORKERS is a non-profit association for development cooperation based in Vienna. It was founded in 1989 by the Viennese gynaecologist and development aid worker Maria Hengstberger.
The Rain Workers provide knowledge about family planning, sexual and reproductive health, HIV/Aids prevention and FGM in an easy and understandable way and has developed own didactic tools. Family planning is the key to empowering women and of a self-determined life.
Together with local partner organisations, The Rain Workers achieve sustainable knowledge transfer and prevention work. Through the training of multipliers knowledge is spread to various communities, schools and health facilities.
Zinduka is Kiswahili and means glimmer of hope. To give a glimmer of hope to young women and girls in Kenya who are in danger of Female Genital Mutilation, child marriages, youth pregnancies and all other SBGV associated issues is the goal of the organization. Zinduka aims to provide educational support and enable a safe environment for women and girls in their own community in order to feel proud and safe, and prosper well. Additionally, they are empowering the local community through: first aid trainings, self-confidence trainings, guiding men in beeing aware of topics like FGM. Also, they are working together with men and tribal leaders who are against FGM. Zinduka e.V. was founded by Antonia Waskowiak and registered in 2016 as a non-profit association in Marburg an der Lahn, Germany. The cooperation with Zinduka offers a large network and access to many years of experience in the abandonment of FGM and provides the formal setting and a platform for the project Tazama.
Board
Beryl Magoko - 1. Chairperson
Beryl Magoko is a filmmaker and an activist against FGM. She is a founding member of Tazama e.V.
Bettina Goebel - 2. Chairperson
Bettina Goebel, a social education graduate, is the director of a family education centre. Before she had focused on women’s education for many years. She is a founding member of Tazama e.V.
Trynje Larkens - Observer
Tryntje Larkens is a lawyer and a founding member of TAZAMA e.V.
Francis Miku Mallya - Treasurer
Francis Miku Mallya is a Catholic missionary priest and a member of the Apostles of Jesus Congregation.
He has served as a priest in Tanzania, Kenya and is currently serving in Germany. From the experience he has gained from the communities he has served both in Africa and Europe, he strongly believes that women need to be empowered at different levels. Francis Miku Mallya is a founding member of Tazama.
