Over the past 26 years Mission with a Vision (MWAV) has rescued, kept safe and educated more than 1,300 girls fleeing female genital mutilation (FGM) and childhood marriage. During that time, we have seen frightened adolescent girls with little or no education grow up to become inde¬pendent women who, by example, are helping to break the cultural norms that support genital cutting and childhood marriage. Our mission is to give every girl escaping gender-based violence an opportunity to pursue their goals.

What MWAV do:

• Provide a home from home - supporting medical needs, healing emotional trauma and offering educational opportunities.

• Work to reconcile the girls and women who have sought our refuge with their families and villages.

• Partner with local organisations to empower women and educate and enrich communities, tackling the root causes of FGM and early marriage.

Looking towards sustainable funding and furthering MWAV’s outreach work:

Over the past decade we have invested in projects that help secure the future of the safehouse, including establishing:

• a 10-acre farm that produces food to feed the girls with the surplus being sold;

• a tailoring centre that provides vocational training opportunities for the girls and local people and revenue through the contracts we secure;

• a high school within the area so that girls can attend school locally and helping to reduce our school fees bill;

• a tower garden project to help people without land and little access to water grow their own food (poverty is a major factor in whether a girl is married early).

Unfortunately, due to increases in costs and a reduction in our income, we urgently need to raise funds to support the day-to-day living costs for the girls. It only costs £2.50 a day for each girl to be housed, fed, clothed and supported. This includes access to medical care when needed.

Mission Direct are raising funds to support Mission With A Vision. Many small donations from many people can collectively achieve a great deal. Maybe you could support one girl for a whole month (£77.50), or one girl for every Monday throughout the year (£130). If enough people help, then the continuing safety of these girls can be secured.