Clitoraid launches a campaign of free clitoral restorative surgeries in Burkina Faso as part of Clitoris Awareness Month

May 27 2017, category: Press Releases
LAS VEGAS, May 22 - Despite the government's surgery ban in the Kamkaso hospital, Clitoraid / AVFE continue their original mission and launch a free clitoral restorative surgery campaign in Burkina Faso as part of Clitoris Awareness Month.

A few days before the opening ceremony of the Kamkaso hospital in Bobo Dioulasso, BF in 2014, the Burkina Faso Health Office notified Clitoraid / AVFE of its ban on surgeries, while Professor Charlemagne Ouedraogo launched a defamation campaign against AVFE and Clitoraid doctors.

Since then, despite repeated administrative efforts on the part of Clitoraid, the government has failed to respond to the humanitarian organization's requests to grant the opening of the Kamkaso hospital.

During a conference in Italy in 2017, Mrs. Lamizana born Traore Mariam, former minister for women's health in Blaise Compaore's government and president of the woman's organization La Voix Des Femmes (Women's Voice)
officially declared that Clitoraid’s action was not necessary since many Burkinabe surgeons were now offering clitoral repair to local women.

“Mrs. Lamizana's remarks are completely false" says Mrs. Siribie, spokesperson for AVFE/ Clitoraid. "Some clinics may have begun to offer the surgery but at a steep price, whereas the Kamkaso pleasure hospital thanks to international donations offers the same service for free to FGM survivors.

The women who cannot afford the surgery must hold Mrs. Lamizana and the Burkina Faso Government solely responsible for their inability to access the surgery.

“Let us remind the public that the government's motion to ban the opening of the Kamkaso hospital strictly stems from religious discrimination toward the Raelians who launched this humanitarian endeavor designed to benefit women of all religions" declares Mrs Siribie.

"AVFE and Clitoraid’s original objective is to offer clitoral restorative surgery to the thousands of women who have contacted us and who cannot afford the procedure." says Siribie
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"After Clitoraid’s successful mission in Kenya earlier this month, where Dr. Bowers, Clitoraid’s chief surgeon, operated on 45 women and children, we decided to meet the expectations of the Burkinabe women and allow most of them to regain their dignity and their sense of pleasure, "explains Brigitte Boisselier, Clitoraid’s President.

The Kamkaso hospital is fully equipped and able to accommodate 6 women per day if the authorization was given to Clitoraid.

The mission of Clitoraid International, inspired by Prophet Rael, spiritual leader of the International Raelian Movement, is to ensure that all women who have been genitally mutilated have access to clitoral restorative surgery as developed by Dr. Foldes.

"Until the Kamkaso hospital officially opens its doors, these operations will be performed in clinics accredited by the Clitoraid program and by surgeons trained by Dr. Bowers. In the meantime, our hospital will act as a welcoming center for FGM victims wishing to have the surgery" adds Boisselier.

“The extra costs and further inconvenience to FGM survivors can only be blamed on the Burkina Faso government that refuses to authorize the opening of our humanitarian hospital based on religious discrimination" deplores Boisselier.

The women of Burkina Faso who wish to know more about clitoral restorative surgery are cordially invited to an information conference at the Kamkaso hospital on Saturday May 27 from 8 am to 6 pm.
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Clitoraid's mission in Kenya ends in great success

May 15 2017, category: Press Releases
LAS VEGAS, May 15 – ​​Clitoraid's two​-​week humanitarian ​surgical ​mission held during Clitoris Awareness month in Nairobi, Kenya ended on May 12 ​as ​45 FGM survivors saw their clitoris and dignity restored.

Dr Bowers, Clitoraid's head surgeon based in San Francisco, US​A, ​trained 16 local Kenyan doctors and calls the mission a beacon of hope for the horn of Africa where millions of FGM victims reside.

​Spiritual leader ​Maitreya Rael who ins​pired the creation of Clitoraid states that "Femininity is the future of humanity"​. ​ Clitoraid strongly contributes to women's empowerment, a sentiment shared by all of our Kenyan patients.

"As soon as women heard that such surgery was being offered in Nairobi, they crowded from early dawn outside and into the waiting rooms of Karen and Mama Lucy hospitals where the mission co-sponsored by Kenyan NGO Garana (Project Pink Plus) was taking place." explains Nadine Gary, spokesperson for Clitoraid

Women also wrote to Clitoraid from countries as far as Nigeria and Sierra Leone, begging us to come to their country.

Dr Lalla Malika Issoufou Mahamadou, first lady of Niger voiced her wish of hosting a Clitoraid surgical mission in her country.

The Kenya mission comprised patients ranging from age 8 to 64.

"Clitoral restorative surgery is not appropriate for children but this 8 years old girl was brought to the hospital suffering from genital mutilation and severe sexual abuse which required intensive genital reconstructive surgery." explains Gary "Dr. Bowers and Dr. Abdullahi immediately alleviated her suffering with their surgical pelvic expertise".

Gary says that women are utterly fed up with this tradition. "Everyone of the desperate women who came for surgery overwhelmingly agreed. This gruesome practice cuts through their body, their marriage, their whole lives".

Most of the patients who underwent the procedure during the past two week complained of broken marriages due to their genital mutilation.

This mission presented a formidable healing opportunity for all the patients not only in their genitals but in their whole beings.

"At the recovery place reserved for them after their surgery, the patients were able to open up about the infamous day of their cutting with other victims. For many, it was the first time in their lives. They spoke about the pain, the anger, the despair, the resentment, the sexual frustrations, the marriage break ups, their sexual fantasies. They laughed, they cried together in a tremendous group healing." says Gary.

Some patients created a blog chat group to keep in touch during the healing process and to support each other in the future.

The recovery takes about 3 months, after which specific clitoral physical therapy will begin under the professional guidance of Dr. Esho and Raelian Guide Clemence Linard, clinical sexologists who have counseled the patients thus far.

Clitoraid Announces Its First Clitoral Restorative Surgeries for FGM Victims in Kenya

April 24 2017, category: Press Releases
LAS VEGAS, April 25 – From May 2 to May 13, the U.S.-based, non-profit organization Clitoraid will launch its first humanitarian mission in Nairobi, Kenya, offering clitoral restorative surgery to victims of female genital mutilation (FGM).

According to Clitoraid Spokesperson Nadine Gary, this new mission is part of the multiple actions planned during the month of May, the month of Clitoris Awareness.
"Dr. Marci Bowers, Clitoraid’s gynecological surgeon, will operate on 40 women in Kenya. Clitoraid partners with the Kenyan non-governmental organization Garana and Dr. Abdullahi Adan, a plastic reconstructive surgeon in this endeavor.

“Dr. Bowers will restore sexual pleasure to 40 patients,” Gary said. “But those having surgery next week are only a few of the many FGM survivors who have contacted us, desperately seeking to be made whole again.” (According to a 2013 UNICEF report, a quarter of all Kenyan women are victims of the barbaric custom of FGM, also known as “cutting.”)

Gary said Bowers will also train local surgeons during her stay in Kenya.

“She’ll present the clitoral restorative technique developed by French urologist Dr. Pierre Foldes,” Gary explained. “Clemence Linard, our clinical sexologist in France, will also participate, offering counseling to patients and sharing her expertise with Kenyan sexologist Dr. Tammary Esho, who volunteered to assist.”

Clitoraid's humanitarian mission began in 2004.

“International spiritual leader Maitreya Rael (rael.org) during one of his visits to West Africa in 2003, learned of the gruesome practice of mutilating girls’ genitals,” Gary said. “He launched Clitoraid not just to launch an educational campaign against FGM but to provide the surgery that repairs the damage inflicted on its victims.”

Gary said Clitoraid has already operated on over 250 FGM survivors, mainly in the United States, where 500,000 victims reside today.

“Among our former patients is Jaha Dukereh, a U.S. resident born in the Gambia,” Gary said. “Last year she was named one of Time Magazine's ‘100 Most Influential People’ in recognition of her anti-FGM activism. She calls her restorative surgery through Clitoraid ‘a life-changing experience’.”

Meanwhile, Clitoraid’s first hospital dedicated to FGM victims and their medical needs in West Africa is still awaiting licensure in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.

“Corrupt male politicians and greedy doctors prevented our 2014 opening, oblivious to the anger and despair of countless local FGM patients,” Gary said.

Clitoraid to launch clitoris therapy for FGM victims on February 6

February 05 2017, category: Press Releases
LAS VEGAS, Feb. 6 – On Feb. 6, the United Nations’ Zero Tolerance Day for victims of female genital mutilation (FGM)​, the humanitarian organization Clitoraid will send its recovering patients a "Womanizer" vibrator donated by its inventor, Mickael Lenke.

“Using that vibrator will be part of our patients’ post-operative therapy following clitoral restorative surgery,” explained Clitoraid Spokesperson Nadine Gary. See video

She said Clitoraid's volunteer surgeons, Dr. Marci Bowers and Dr. Harold Henning, have successfully operated on over 250 FGM victims since 2009.

“The surgery and postoperative therapy restored their dignity as women,” Gary said, adding that her organization’s revolutionary charity stems from the humanitarian vision of international spiritual leader Maitreya Rael.

“His pacific, atheist philosophy advocates women’s rights, including the inherent right to sexual pleasure,” Gary explained.

FGM, also called genital cutting, affects 130 million women in the world today according to the WHO.

“This gruesome practice consists of mutilating the genitals of little girls, particularly the clitoris,” Gary said. “It’s usually performed without anesthesia, and it’s done to deny sexual pleasure. The intent is to turn women into chaste, subdued and faithful wives.”

But husbands don't like having an FGM wife, Gary pointed out.

“Thousands of victims reach out to Clitoraid, begging us to make them whole again and save their marriages,” she said.

During the past two decades, science has significantly updated anatomical knowledge of women's genitalia.

“For the first time in history, the clitoris has been properly mapped, revealing an organ far more voluminous than previously thought,” Gary explained. “Its visible glans is only the tip of a massive amount of pleasurable tissue. That makes genital mutilation a reversible condition, and French urologist Dr. Pierre Foldes launched a revolutionary surgical technique for FGM survivors.”

Clitoral restorative surgery requires post-op therapy, Gary said.

"The touchless technology of the Womanizer vibrator will help our patients recover pleasurable sensations without irritating the clitoral tissue the way other vibrators tend to do after surgery,” she said. “And Michael Linke says he will modify the technology of his vibrator and adapt it to our patients' needs after getting their feedback."

Clitoraid is planning a humanitarian surgical mission to Kenya in May.

“Over 50 FGM patients are awaiting surgery there,” Gary said. “We hope to introduce Mr. Lenke’s post-op therapeutic device to those patients.”



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