Patrick and Josephine have dedicated their lives to eradicating FGM in Kenya. The couple have gone from helping girls escape forced early marriage and female cutting just a few at a time, to building a safehouse that can accommodate up to 60, setting up and managing a school sponsorship scheme and running a farm project to feed the girls. Now they plan to open a vocational centre to provide training opportunities and an income to support the safehouse financially, as well as provide advocacy and outreach work.

Both former teachers, they have tirelessly run Mission with a Vision for 25 years, helping to rescue, home and educate almost 1,200 young women in that time so they know all about hard work. But taking on a seven-day trek covering 168km will be a new type of challenge for them. Their aim is to raise much needed funds to protect more girls from female genital mutilation ahead of the upcoming 'cutting season' in December.

Can you help them raise £50,000 and spread the End FGM and childhood marriage message to everyone in Kenya? Sponsor them per kilometre or join them virtually for a day by doing your own sponsored walk.

Josephine, the safehouse manager, and Patrick, the organisation director, will be joined for the first and last 10 kilometres by many of the girls currently living at the safehouse and by a number of Maasai elders, two members of parliament and representatives from a variety of civil society organisations, both Kenyan and from overseas. But only Josephine and Patrick have volunteered to walk the entire route over seven days, staying the night at schools along the way.

Mission with a Visions work takes place in Narok and Kajiado county, which are FGM hotspots and home to the Maasai, one of the communities that continues to practice FGM despite it being against the law. Working with local leaders, the Kenyan Childrens Department and local police, the missions work has had a significant impact both on the girls who have been rescued and, increasingly, on local attitudes toward this practice. The work begins with the rescue of the girls, many of whom have fled their villages and are brought in by the police or simply wander in on their own having heard that the Mission provides a safe haven and will sponsor their education. While the majority go on to secondary school and then university, a rare occurrence for a Maasai girl, many have received scholarships and have forged successful professional careers, breaking the cultural norms that support genital cutting and childhood marriage. In addition, the organisation works to ensure that the girls are equipped to lead fully independent lives and adequately support their families financially once they complete their studies.

Patrick says: Through Mission with a Visions sponsorship scheme some of our girls have gone on to become lawyers, teachers, midwives and hotel managers. They have all become defenders of girls rights. All girls deserve the opportunities to reach their potentials not be cut, married and becoming mothers when they are just children themselves.

Josephine Rotiken, who was rescued by Mission with a Vision 15 years ago and thanks to her sponsorship has graduated from law school, says: Josephine and Patrick have been like parents to me, helping me go through school so I could have a career and then become a wife and mother when I chose it. I dont know what my life would have been without Mission with a Vision. Read more about her story here .

The idea of such a gruelling sponsored trek was hit upon when, after months of lockdown, the couple decided they would like to take on a fitness challenge.

Patrick adds: We wanted to do something different, something that would get us noticed and at the same time help us to keep fit and healthy - as we have lots more we want to achieve, and keeping up with so many teenage girls living in our centre takes a lot of energy. Along the way we hope spread our message for the girl childs rights, engage the people from the towns and villages we pass through, and hopefully get some media coverage as a way to thank all the businesses that have donated to our cause.

Mission with a Vision trustee and campaigning journalist Rachel Horner, from the UK, says: Typical of a couple who have strived over the years to provide for so many, rather than sit around and worry about their fundraising issues they decided to literally get on their feet to do something about it.

I am constantly amazed at how this couple have dedicated their entire lives to ending FGM. Patrick was a teacher when he realised how many girls were missing out on their education because of childhood marriage. Unable to ignore the plight of these young girls, he gave up his career to help them, and Josephine has been equally dedicated to the cause, falling in love and marrying a man knowing that her life would be dedicated to feeding, clothing and educating thousands of children. Patrick has always said it took a special kind of women to take on all that. Their selflessness humbles me. I have been honoured to visit them on many occasions and they dont just provide for the girls needs, they create a happy family home for them, too.

These young women have to walk away from their families, their villages, and all they know. Thats not an easy decision to make. What they do is not just for themselves, but for all Kenyan girls; one day, because of their bravery now, it will be the norm for all girls to stay in school and complete their education. They are paving the way for girls rights in the future.

Please do support Josephine and Patricks sponsored walk, that way you too will be part of the solution to ending FGM and can become part of the Mission with a Vision story.

The couples aim is to raise £50,000 which will be used to pay school fees for more rescued girls, promote advocacy against FGM, build and equip a vocational training centre for rescued girls and other activities that will help eradicate FGM and forced early marriage.

Learn more about the dangers of FGM here

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