Teenagers Agnes Traore and Angeline Sonozara from the village of Kokota in Guinea recently made the most challenging decision of their young lives. They would refuse to undergo hamigou, often called female genital cutting, a practice in which portions of young girls’ genitals are cut away with a sharpened stone or razor blade. This traditional practice is widespread in Africa. It is estimated that more than 95% of women in Guinea have undergone the procedure. Girls are told by their communities that without hamigou they will not marry or bear children or become true women. Agnes and Angeline knew how difficult it would be to tell their parents of their intention to remain whole.

A year earlier the two would never have had the courage to break with tradition. They were among the poorest performing students at their school. As they finished their ninth year, and the difficult tenth grade high-school entrance examinations loomed, their self-confidence was low. They had seen the number of their classmates who failed the exams grow each year, especially their fellow female students. They odds were they would succumb to the great social pressure in Guinea for girls to drop out of school and would start families at a very early age. Fewer than 10% of girls continue from middle school to high school and fewer than 5% qualify for university studies.

The obstacles to education are numerous in Guinea. Students often have to walk many kilometers to school and the few available textbooks are woefully out of date. Widespread poverty causes families to discourage girls from their studies, asking them to instead work in the home or to marry in return for a dowry. In addition, many teachers are poorly paid and ill-trained. The school year is also exceptionally short and disjointed due to recurring strikes, absent instructors, and traditional festivals.

To address the problem of low female graduation rates, USAID’s Project Faisons Ensemble worked with the Ministry of Education to create a pilot project improve the academic performance of female students. While this was primarily an education project, with Agnes and Angeline there would be unforeseen results.

The project carefully selected 60 students in need across four middle schools to participate in an intense 90 day preparatory course over the summer holidays in physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology and French. Kokota was one of the schools selected to participate. The girls were also trained in HIV/AIDS prevention, human rights, local governance, public health and nutrition and female empowerment. The effect on the students, and on Agnes and Angeline, was dramatic. The majority passed their examinations with excellent marks and their self confidence grew. They became student leaders, sought out by their classmates for academic help. Their view on issues was listened to.

Agnes and Angeline and dozens of others of the girls that participated in the project refused to undergo hamigou. They became role models. They demonstrated that education can help overcome harmful traditional practices and protect fundamental human rights.

Today, Agnes, Angeline and their peers are confident that they will complete their university studies and return to their homes as respected leaders.