Rhobi Samwelly founded Hope for Girls and Women in 2017. Her personal experience of being forced to undergo female genital mutilation as a child inspired her lifelong commitment to fight for the rights of girls and women.

"I lost so much blood, I became unconscious. My family and neighbors started crying as they thought I was dying."

Rhobi went through a particularly traumatic experience when she was subjected to FGM. For fear of being arrested, her family didn't seek professional help by taking her to hospital. Although she made a recovery, she was understandably angry with her family and said she would only grant them forgiveness if they agreed not to put her sisters through cutting.

Rhobi also lost her best friend Sabina to complications from the procedure. This tragedy motivated her to dedicate her life to ensuring no other girl suffers the same fate.

Rhobi explains, "I grew up in a small village where girls were seen as commodities to exchange for cattle. I was cut and forced to marry against my will. I want to inspire girls to stand up for their rights to education, not to be cut, and to marry who they choose."

"I wanted girls to have the support in saying no, that I never had. To realize they can have control over their bodies and their lives."

Rhobi's work has been recognized internationally:

• 2022 Marianne Human Rights Defender Award - Selected by President Macron with 15 other advocates

• Anti-GBV Battle Award from UNFPA, UN Women, and the European Union

• Spoke at the United Kingdom's Houses of Parliament

• Interviewed by the BBC and featured in international media

• Spoke at the UN FGM panel

• Featured in the documentary "In the Name of Your Daughter"

Today, Rhobi operates two safe houses in Tanzania and has created a model that other regions are beginning to adopt. Her approach combines immediate rescue with long-term community education, proving that change is possible when survivors become advocates.

Through her work, traditional cutters have been convinced to destroy their tools and become advocates against FGM, and families have been educated about the dangers of these practices.