1997
KMG Ethiopia granted full indigenous NGO status with 7.4 acres of land in Durame, Kembatta Ethiopia.


1998
Established liaison office in Addis; Conducted Baseline Survey on Harmful Customary Practices, Reproductive Health/Socioeconomic status, in Kembatta and Alaba districts.
(picture: survey team)

1999
Presented the finding of the Survey to the communities. Began Sensitization Workshops to inform and mobilize the local communities around the objectives of KMG; Launched zone wide campaign against Female Genital Excision (FGE) and other harmful customary practices; Began construction of four buildings of KMG Resource Center.


2000
Inaugurated a yearly World AIDS Day Rally in Durame (over 4,000 participants). Continued training in Gender in Leadership and Decision Making –Capacity Building; Held paralegal training in Kembatta District; Sponsored AIDS Rally and Sensitization Workshop in Alaba District; received 5-year European Commission (EC) grant on reproductive health, HIV/AIDS prevention and control and reduction of FGE, including fund to build a Mother/Child Health Center.

Abresh Abako became the first abducted girl to return home her parents and to her former school. Her abductor was sentenced to a five year prison term. This was a landmark case, first of its kind in the region where up until now it had been unacceptable for abducted girls who had been raped to return to their families because they are considered “damaged goods.”

2001
Began construction of Kembatta Mother/Child Health Center; Completed Library Resource building and Heritage House; Began construction of wells, reservoir, and a network of water collection points; Trained and deployed teams of community based health workers and peer educators.
(pic: front line health workers)

2002
Staged educational dramatizations HIV/AIDS and FGE; Showed live videos about FGE and AIDS in remote areas; Created and trained civic education groups on gender, democracy, Human Rights women’s rights, constitutional rights and responsibilities; in collaboration with United Nations Development Program, trained facilitators in Community Capacity Enhancement Community Conversation that brought change and transformation in remote areas. Opened the first Satellite office in Alaba.

By June, 78 girls revolted against FGE, vowing not to be cut, They marched out with “I won’t be cut" and "learn from me!” statement pinned on their T-shirts.
(pic: 78 girls)
On September 12, the first uncut girl married in public rally, declaring “I am happy to be whole and learn from me”, with 300 uncut brides maids wearing the same affirmation. December the same year, the couple toured three cities in USA.

2003
Opened the  first HIV/AIDS Voluntary Counseling and Testing Center; Introduced registration of Vital Statistics (birth, death, marriage and wedding of uncut girls) in rural villages; Over 10,000 uncircumcised girls registered with KMG Advocacy and Support groups; 30 uncircumcised marriages were celebrated; and 15 abducted girls returned to their families and continuing their education With grant from Austrian Embassy, opened four more satellite offices in Kachabirra, Angacha, Kedida Gamela and Omo Shelequo districts which facilitated close communication with the communities, thus intensifying the campaign against FGE. Austrian Ambassador, the first foreign dignitary visited Kembatta and in the same year the American Ambassador, also visited KMG Center and its projects.

2004
On the demand of the communities, KMG opened another two more offices in Damboya and Hobicheka. KMG’s registry of uncut girls more than doubled to 25,000, and registered marriages of uncut girls reached 200. Mentoring begun of young couples to help them write their own marriage contracts based on mutual respect rather than gender roles; completed construction of Mother/Child Health Center.
KMG contracted by UNDP to coordinate the effort on scaling-up Community Capacity Enhancement-Community Conversation program in Ethiopia. President Girma W/Giorgis helped launch the program as a model in combating HIV/AIDS. Stephen Lewis, UN Secretary-General Envoy to Africa for HIV-AIDS, visited KMG program and described it as “a rare glimpse of hope” against HIV. “Behavior actually changes!” he said. “(It) takes one’s breath away.” KMG training program for female leadership led to identification and ongoing preparation of candidates for 2005 national elections. Biannual inter-district leadership meeting focused on goals for annual KMG launched the first Celebration of - Whole Body Healthy Life-Freedom from FGM, on October 31, 2004. From 70,000 to 100,000 including 25,000 uncut girls streamed into Durame’s donated soccer field from far-flung villages to meet and mark victories against FGE with traditional dancing, costumes, speeches, banners, etc. The first of 11,000 silver medallions were given out to uncut girls. Medallions read, “I am whole”.
Received grant from Novib for Environmental program that focused in the rehabilitation of Hambericho Mountain. Undertook extensive Baseline Survey on Environment that included the regeneration of water resources, alternative energy and income generation, democracy, governance, gender and leadership, health, education, in the zone and Special Woreda of Alaba. Entered into collaborative agreement with SNV, a capacity building Dutch organization.

2005
The Environmental program focused on the rehabilitation of Hambericho Mountain went into full swing. Established  three nursery sites on the land received from the government/communities in the three woredas of Kachabirra, Kedida Gamela and Angacha; Received grant from SIDA through NEWA for scaling-up the good practices and experiences gained in combatting FGE and HIV/AIDS to adjacent zones of Hadiya and Wolayita, and undertook situational analysis in theses zones.

2006
Uncut Girls Clubs formed as a new social force against FGM. Currently more than 40,000 girls  are organized in groups; some 10,000 in to various clubs creating support and advocacy groups on their own behalf and on behalf of other girls and mothers claiming their rights. The courage of five girls (“the unbeatable five”As dabbed by their friends) who brought back their girlfriend who was abducted depicts some of the amazing undertakings of these ‘uncut’ girls. The girls are playing very crucial role in advocating for legal actions against any form of gender- based abuse and violence, while educating and counseling parents and perpetrators. They are also engaged in all aspect of community development initiatives in all aspects.

Initiated a sensitization and empowerment project focused on a marginalized Ethiopian community, the “Fuga,” to help them understand  that they, too, have human rights. The project assists them to find ways to improve their livelihoods, while at the same time building self esteem so that they can demand their human dignity.


2007
KMG trained through community conversation more than 42,000 community members to enhance awareness of communities,(women, girls, law enforcement agents, community elders, social courts etc) on gender, constitutional and human rights, Family Laws, criminal laws, democracy and good governance, gender based violence and citizen’s roles and rights in democratization, creating critical mass of aware and active citizens.

2008
The Uncut Girls movement resonates throughout the region as a social force against harmful customary practices (HCPs) and other gender based violence. Girls groups began taking actions against any forms of violence against women, girls and children, and convinced the community in their respective villages of their seriousness by initiating important development projects such as the rehabilitation of their environment, supporting orphans, etc.

In June, UNICEF undertook study on KMG’S Methodologies, strategies and approaches towards in Ending HCPs particularly FGM.

2009
UNICEF Presented the study results and validated KMG’s multi-stage approaches and methodologies to eradicate HCPs particularly FGM.
The study showed that through KMG’s interventions since 1999, there has been 97% decline in the practice of FGM/C and other harmful customary practices such as bride abduction and widow inheritance in the Zone. The study documented the continuing abandonment of FGM/C and other harmful practices in the Zone, and demonstrated KMG’s impact. It also validated KMG’s working methods and strategies as effective and adaptable to eradicate FGM/C and other harmful practices nationally and continentally.

Uncut Girls staged the first Zonal Soccer Tournament during their annual Celebration of " Whole Body Healthy Life-Freedom from FGM" and demonstrated their commitment to equality and willingness fight against all forms gender based violence.

KMG-Ethiopia undertook Five Year Strategic Plan and comprehensive Organizational Diagnosis that clearly showed its successes, gaps, challenges and lessons learned.

Designed new strategies and programs and projects to scale-up its best practices to eliminate HCPs and prevention and control of HIV/AIDS in 21 woredas, including Guraghe, Wolayita, Gaamo Gofa, Derashe, Konsso in SN-NPRS and West Arsi Zone of Oromiya Regional States. Project is supported by UNICEF, OXFAM NOVIB, UNFPA and Norwegian Church Aid.

KMG celebrated ten years of amazing change and transformation and five years of Whole Body Healthy Life-Freedom from FGM in a huge celebration in Kembatta Tembaro Zone. More than 60,000 people participated in the massive event.