My family are from Nigeria, my father had a well paid job in oil exploration when we moved to the US. He had traditional muslim values. I was only about 6 when we moved to the US. When i was 12 my mom told me i had to have a procedure that was traditional for girls who come from our country. I had no idea that it would turn out to be the most traumatic time of my life. They wanted to cut my genitals and i said NO.

I came so close to having it done because they deviously and surreptitiously planned to have me cut at my dads friends house.  But the day before it happened i reluctantly told a Caucasian friend at school. She was so brilliant, her family waited until the next morning and her dad kept watch outside my house and they put a tracker on my phone. My dad’s friends came and manhandled me against my wishes and took me out to the car.

Luckily my school friends dad had already alerted the police who arrived within a minute of me arriving at the house where my genitals were to be mutilated. All the adults there were arrested, but non were prosecuted. My dads high priced lawyers were able to get him off. My school friends family formerly adopted me. Although i had to stay in some half way house for many months until it all went through the correct channels.

I am so happy now, but i know many girls who come to the US and other western countries undergo female genital mutilation (FGM) without the wider world knowing. We need more awareness about this because it can be so destructive to a young girls mind and her confidence.