THE SMILE OUTREACH
Intact
Protecting Bodies, Preserving Futures
The fourth thematic area of the Hand-to-Mind Project. The body is sacred ground. Intact challenges the cultural justifications for female genital mutilation through community-grounded education, gender-transformative approaches, and youth-led advocacy, because the practice is sustained by community consensus and can only be ended by community consensus.
Informed by OYAL fellowship pilot projects that have already reached 796+ participants across multiple Nigerian states, with 75% of male participants demonstrating willingness to advocate against FGM.
The Crisis
Nigeria has the highest absolute number of FGM survivors in the world
An estimated 20 million women and girls. Despite the VAPP Act (2015), enforcement remains inconsistent. FGM is rising among girls aged 0–14 — from 16.9% in 2013 to 19.2% in 2018. The practice is driven by deeply entrenched cultural beliefs, religious misinterpretation, and intergenerational social pressure.
Women and girls
survivors of FGM in Nigeria
Of FGM performed before
the age of 5
FGM prevalence in Ekiti State
(MICS 2021)
Participants reached through
OYAL FGM pilots
Of male participants willing to
advocate against FGM
OYAL fellows across 8 states
in FGM cluster
Geopolitical zones
covered
Intelligence from the Field
Youth-led projects already changing minds
OYAL fellows in the FGM cluster are not waiting for the Outreach Kit. They are already in the field, generating the community insights that will shape every resource we create.
“Shifting Harmful Norms”
Usman Bashir Abubakar • Borno State
A gender-transformative project that reached 360 participants, promoting positive gender norm change to support the elimination of FGM. The project engaged boys and young men alongside girls, adopting approaches that help communities re-examine expectations and transform roles that normalise FGM.
360 reached • 75% male advocacy uptake
“End the Cut”
Solomon Adewole • Oyo State
A Traditional Chief and community leader who reached 436 students, 10 teachers, and community stakeholders at Apete-Ayegun Community Grammar School. The project used TSO’s “Speak Boldly: A Guide to Ending FGM” and emphasised the VAPP Act as the legal framework for community protection.
436 reached • VAPP Act awareness activated
What We’re Building
The Intact Outreach Kit
Every resource is being developed in partnership with AMAZE, shaped by OYAL fellows with direct community experience in high-prevalence states.
🎬
ANIMATION
Original animation on FGM, dubbed into 4 Nigerian languages
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COMIC
Illustrated companion comic for offline reach
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Flashcard
24 interactive cards with discussion prompts
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Facilitation Guide
Structured for A.G.E.N.C.Y volunteers
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Slides
Standardised deck for community sessions
Gender-Transformative by Design
FGM is sustained by community consensus. It can only be ended by community consensus.
Intact engages boys and men not as bystanders but as active agents in ending FGM. When young men are educated about the health consequences and human rights dimensions, they become advocates within their own families and peer groups. Intact targets male community members, traditional leaders, and religious figures alongside girls and women.
“Working with people who have different ideas and beliefs, some of whom are resistant to change, taught me to work at their pace while actively involving them, sometimes prompting them to take the lead.”
Existing resource: “Speak Boldly: A Guide to Ending FGM”- already developed and deployed in OYAL pilot projects. This guide will be refined and integrated into the full Outreach Kit.
The Interconnection
FGM does not exist in isolation
Child Marriage
FGM and child marriage frequently co-occur in the same communities, driven by the same power structures. Intact and Free Futures share facilitation infrastructure and community entry points.
Sexual Grooming
Girls who have undergone FGM face compounded vulnerability to exploitation. Bold Spaces content provides the foundation for age-appropriate protection education.
Health & Education
FGM’s health consequences, chronic pain, childbirth complications, psychological trauma, directly affect school attendance and educational outcomes addressed by Good Cycle.
Get Involved
Help us build Intact
Fund the Outreach Kit
Support the creation of the animation, comic, flashcards, and guides. Every resource will be permanently available on the Adolescent Resource Centre for free use across the continent.
Become an OYAL Fellow
Apply for the FGM cluster in the next fellowship cycle. Design and implement your own community-based intervention with training, mentorship, and a mini-grant.
Partner for Male Engagement
If you work with traditional rulers, religious leaders, or male community stakeholders, partner with us to integrate Intact’s gender-transformative approach into existing community dialogues.
Co-Create Content
Contribute to script development, cultural sensitivity review, or translation. Community voices and OYAL fellows with lived experience shape every resource.
Support VAPP Act Awareness
Help us advance community-level awareness and application of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, the legal framework that makes FGM a criminal offence.
Distribute Resources
Help place comics, guides, and flashcards in schools, community centres, and health facilities across high-prevalence states including Ekiti, Edo, Oyo, and Borno.
The body is sacred ground
Intact is in development. The OYAL fellows have already proven that communities can choose to end this practice, when education replaces myth and when men share the responsibility of protection.
Our work would not be possible without the contributions of our partners. Thank you for supporting our mission to create a safer world for all.
