SPOKANE — How does Spokane have a connection to a Maasai village in Kenya? Via writer and activist Charity Resian.
Resian, 33, moved from Sweden to Spokane last year to connect with her brother and cousins who live here.
“I needed the support of a larger community and I knew I could get it here in Spokane as I work to get support for young girls back in Kenya,” she said.
While working toward her goal of launching a nonprofit, Resian’s Dream, Resian started working as a reporter for the Black Lens.
Resian is the subject of a 30-minute documentary, “Against All Odds,” that focuses on her story of growing up in a small village in Kenya and her experience rejecting the harmful cultural practice of female genital mutilation (FGM). The film was a project that started in 2017 with an AIDOS (the Italian Association for Women in Development) conference organized to share stories from eight countries in Africa. AIDOS’ focus “works for the rights, dignity and freedom of choice of women and girls throughout the world.”
“They were looking for young Africans to tell stories to represent Kenya,” Resian said. “During the event, they were empowering us through film media to share our stories. They taught us we could use our phones to tell our stories.
“My story won because it was so personal. No one had the connection I had with FGM.”
Funds were allocated to develop her story into the documentary film that was then distributed to raise awareness of the issue.
Watching the film, Resian said, will show viewers that once she realized she had a choice, she had to run away from her family and village to escape.
“My mother always believed in me, even though she didn’t want me to (break tradition),” Resian said. “She is the reason I have courage, resilience and bravery. My mother influenced my life in a great way.”
Obtaining permission from her family to tell her story wasn’t simple.
“It was a hard process,” she said. “I had to make them understand my intention, and I wanted to share my story to help other girls — so they knew someone that they could look up to — and have the same courage to stand up and say no to FGM.”
UNICEF cites over 230 million girls and women have experienced FGM — involving partial or total removal of the female external genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for nonmedical reasons. Africa accounts for the largest share of this total, with over 144 million.
Reactions from watching the film depend on the audience, Resian said.
“Back home, you can see their (girls) faces light up, just realizing that they have a voice, that I can belong to myself, because this is my body,” she said. “There are hundreds of girls, starting from my little sisters, to my younger cousins, just now finding courage to challenge this practice.
“It is incredible to see the looks on young girls faces, that they can say ‘no.’ It affects how there are girls in the world that need to know they can say ‘no.’ It is their own body.”
When screening the film in Europe and the United States, the reaction is one of shock. “I can’t believe how many people don’t know,” she said. “I’ve realized that other people aren’t aware of FGM. They are shocked to know that this is happening today.”
Resian anticipates this will be the reaction in Spokane. Northwest Passages is partnering with The Black Lens for screening of “Against All Odds,” followed by a panel discussion with two additional connections to change-makers in rural Africa.
Panelist De Scott travelled to Kenya in 2022.
“I have been amazed by her. She truly shows what one person can do,” said Resian, who recounted how Scott has provided 150 water tanks to women in a village, and their shared interest in improving the quality of life for women and girls.
Shane Desgrosellier has traveled the world, and Resian notes that his interests in supporting programs in Africa sows a seed to make difference. She believes that people like Desgrosellier will play a big part in the mission of her nonprofit as well as the African community.
“Education is critical to awareness, “ Resian said. “I honestly believe that education is the only way out.
“The purpose of Resian’s Dream is to go beyond the barriers that surround us, to leverage education to empower girls against traditional FGM and child marriage to transform our community.”
