Nice Place Foundation is the brainchild of Nice Leng’ete, who, at the age of eight, resisted the cultural convention and managed to avoid undergoing female genital cutting (FGC). Through an extraordinary series of events that are emblematic of her tenacity and dynamism, Nice has managed to become the first woman in Masai history to be bestowed with the Black Talking Stick. Known as ‘esiere’, the stick is a symbol of leadership, and allows Nice to engage in conversations with men and the elders, particularly in her own and surrounding communities. In collaboration with Amref Health Africa (Amref), Africa’s largest health NGO, she designed an alternative rite of passage, thus sparing many young women from FGC.
The desire by girls in Kajiado to realise their full potential cannot be underestimated, as many girls who are at risk of being circumcised and married off at a very young age run away from their homes. Due to a lack of safe havens, they often end up being victims of forced FGC and child marriages, leaving them without the opportunity to advance their education and pursue any dreams of a career.
