Growing up in Kenya was a happy time for Valentine Nkoyo.
But all that changed in a single moment when she became the victim of female genital mutilation.
The consequences of that day will last a lifetime.
On Thursday, the 31-year-old spoke out about her ordeal as part of a conference in Nottingham to raise awareness of the practice, which still affects millions of girls worldwide.
Visibly emotional, she spoke of the morning she was told it was “time to become a woman”.
She said: “I wanted to run away but I was scared of being alone. The pain I felt was something I can never describe. The experience was horrific. I can still remember the face of the cutter, the clothes she was wearing.”
Since that day, Valentine has gone on to campaign against the practice, which is still viewed as a religious tradition in some cultures.
She set up the Nottingham-based Mojatu Foundation last year to raise awareness, and organised Thursday’s conference for about 250 health experts, academics and fellow survivors.
Even in the 21st century it is still an issue here in Nottingham. Last year, specialist clinics in the city dealt with more than 200 cases of FGM, nine of which involved girls under 18.
Chris Few, chairman of the Nottinghamshire Safeguarding Children Board, said: “Until we get the whole of the community engaged in dealing with this we are never going to see the end to it. FGM is perhaps unlike other forms of child abuse – it’s something we can eradicate. With the right will and commitment we can get rid of it completely.”
And Nottinghamshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping, who supported the conference, added: “People are beginning to accept there’s an issue, that we’ve got to do something about it. But we don’t understand the scale of the problem and we don’t know what the solution is.
“So unless we work together we can’t make the change. We’ve got to face the challenge.”
If you need support or advice about FGM, contact the Mojatu Foundation on 0115 8457009 or visit www.mojatu.com.