Safa, letter from our Little Desert Flower

5 Aug

Dear Waris, Desert Flower Team and all supporters,

I hope you are all doing well and the weather is not as hot in your country as it is here. Here in Djibouti we have 115 degrees Fahrenheit. That is too hot, even too hot for a nomad girl! I wish I could be in Europe now, just like last year. But Papa has to work and Mama took my two little brothers to visit some of our family in Ethiopia. My little brother Nour still got a bad cough so Ethiopia is much better for him because it ist not so hot there and also because there are woods and plenty of water.

Our school is closed because of holiday but I have to see a tutor twice a week because I need to improve my French. At home we speak Somali only but in school we are taught in French. Unfortunately, my parents cannot help me with my homework since they are not able to write or read French correctly.

I really love to go to school, I’m the best in math class and I always look forward to the next lesson!

Our teacher calls me regularly to show my skills on the Blackboard. I’m very good in sports too, I love soccer and I saw many matches of the soccer championship from Brazil on TV. Neymar is my hero and when I play I copy him. My best friends are Taslyma and Idil and they are crazy about soccer too. We have our own team, unfortunately we destroyed our shoes and dresses as we are playing on stony grounds.

Last week, I met Dr. Acina for the medical check, I admire her so much and my goal is to study medicine in Europe after school and then come back to Africa to help children. Children have a very tough life here and if you get sick and your parents have no money, nobody helps you!

I’m so glad and grateful for Waris and the Desert Flower Foundation’s support, to allow me to visit school and to secure food and water for our family. I’m glad she convinced my parents not to let me suffer FGM. This is the most terrible thing you can do to a girl. By chance I saw in Balbala how they destroyed a little girl. It was so cruel and since that time I suffer from nightmares. One day I will be a mother but I never will allow anybody to touch my children!

Now I have to leave because my French tutor is waiting but I will write my next letter when school starts.

Thank you for your support, you have saved my life!

Love and hugs to you all, from the heat in Djibouti!

Safa

One Response to “Safa, letter from our Little Desert Flower”

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Gender Disparity & 5 Women Who Are Changing The Trajectory For Girls #WomensHistoryMonth | Think Pynk - March 11, 2016

    […] In 2007, Safa Idriss Nour received the golden opportunity to play a young Waris in the film Desert Flower with the condition attached that in the future, Nour’s parents wold not subject her to the traditional practice of genital mutilation. The family agreed and  Nour played the role. Four years later, they had second thoughts but intervened before Nour underwent genital mutilation. Read more on Waris’ site […]

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