On the outskirts of Vélingara, a town near the border with Gambia and far from the modern comforts of Dakar, extended families live together, sometimes with as many as four generations under one roof. Here, the population adheres to basic traditional community values. Up until recently, female genital mutilation, child marriage, and teen pregnancy were all considered to be cultural traditions by most—a classification that also made them untouchable topics of discussion.

Yet there is a movement taking place in southern Senegal. By engaging, empowering, and educating the older generation, the Grandmother Project is helping young women make informed decisions about their personal health, enabling them to pursue education and independence in a culture that historically hasn’t prioritized women’s needs.

Yabou Diallo, from Kandia Village, was married at 18. Diallo is a mediator within her community. She didn’t play a leadership role until the Grandmother Project empowered her to do so, and now she feels like she has earned respect that she did not have before.
Yabou Diallo, from Kandia Village, was married at 18. Diallo is a mediator within her community. She didn’t play a leadership role until the Grandmother Project empowered her to do so, and now she feels like she has earned respect that she did not have before.

Judi Aubel and Elisabeth Mealey are the co-founders of the Grandmother Project, which became recognized as an international nonprofit in 2011 in Senegal, though they started their work there in 2005. Committed to using existing cultural assets to empower communities, their approach is tailored to the specific people it seeks to help.

In Vélingara, most young girls are raised primarily by their grandmothers and frequently share a much closer bond to them than to their own mothers, who are busy with household chores or work in the field during the harvest. Boys, on the other hand, are more likely to enter school than stay home, and their education is often handled by their fathers.

For young women navigating the challenges of puberty, having someone to confide in is as essential as their need for a moral guide. In this way, grandmothers become educators, historians, storytellers, and allies. For the past 11 years, the Grandmother Project has become more involved in educating the elder communities of southern Senegal and has seen a remarkable change in the attitude towards female genital mutilation, and an even more significant decrease in child marriages and teen pregnancies.

“If we hope to bring about long-term change in communities related to issues affecting women and children, those who define and who perpetuate the social norms, namely the elders, are the ones who need to be involved in community programs,” says Aubel.

In West African countries, up to 40 percent of girls are married before age 18. FGM rates are as high as 86 percent in rural areas according to Aubel’s research.

From 2008-2012, the Grandmother Project saw the approval of FGM plummet from 75 percent of grandmothers and 76 percent of young women to 5 and 7 percent respectively, according to their poll of 60 villages. Mothers and grandmothers also increased their desired age for girls to get married from 15.6 years to 17.3 years.

Over time, the hope is that these shifts will eventually lead to healthier communities, improving the lives of women and children, and producing a higher percentage of educated young women who are able to participate in the professional workforce—something that is rare throughout Senegal, but especially in the more rural areas.

The newsletter you need Get more Bourdain in your inbox.

1. Yamou Kante, from Medina Diambere Village, at age 15. Yamou was unsure as to what to do when her parents wanted her to get married at age 13 to a man in a neighboring village. She spoke with the elders and confronted her parents, who agreed to allow her to wait until she was older. / 2. Aissatou Diallo, from Medina Diambere Village, at age 14. Aissatou did not know the man that her father wanted her to marry, but she knew she was too young, and that she wanted to continue pursuing her studies. Her mother, a member of the Grandmother Project in their village, was her confidante, and after much convincing was able to talk her father out of handing Aissatou off to a stranger.
1. Yamou Kante, from Medina Diambere Village, at age 15. Yamou was unsure as to what to do when her parents wanted her to get married at age 13 to a man in a neighboring village. She spoke with the elders and confronted her parents, who agreed to allow her to wait until she was older. / 2. Aissatou Diallo, from Medina Diambere Village, at age 14. Aissatou did not know the man that her father wanted her to marry, but she knew she was too young, and that she wanted to continue pursuing her studies. Her mother, a member of the Grandmother Project in their village, was her confidante, and after much convincing was able to talk her father out of handing Aissatou off to a stranger.
1. Yamou Kante, from Medina Diambere Village, at age 15. Yamou was unsure as to what to do when her parents wanted her to get married at age 13 to a man in a neighboring village. She spoke with the elders and confronted her parents, who agreed to allow her to wait until she was older. / 2. Aissatou Diallo, from Medina Diambere Village, at age 14. Aissatou did not know the man that her father wanted her to marry, but she knew she was too young, and that she wanted to continue pursuing her studies. Her mother, a member of the Grandmother Project in their village, was her confidante, and after much convincing was able to talk her father out of handing Aissatou off to a stranger.
1. Aminata Konte, from Kereouane Village, was married at age 17. Konte's role with the Grandmother Project is to protect the young girls of her village. She sensitizes them to the dangers of early marriage and urges them to speak out if they don’t feel comfortable with their parents pressuring them to get married. / 2. Dusso Mbaalo, from Sare Niary Village, was married at age 17. Dusso’s role with the Grandmother Project is as a storyteller, using stories and riddles to educate young women on the dangers of early marriage, teen pregnancy, and female genital mutilation.
1. Aminata Konte, from Kereouane Village, was married at age 17. Konte's role with the Grandmother Project is to protect the young girls of her village. She sensitizes them to the dangers of early marriage and urges them to speak out if they don’t feel comfortable with their parents pressuring them to get married. / 2. Dusso Mbaalo, from Sare Niary Village, was married at age 17. Dusso’s role with the Grandmother Project is as a storyteller, using stories and riddles to educate young women on the dangers of early marriage, teen pregnancy, and female genital mutilation.
1. Aminata Konte, from Kereouane Village, was married at age 17. Konte’s role with the Grandmother Project is to protect the young girls of her village. She sensitizes them to the dangers of early marriage and urges them to speak out if they don’t feel comfortable with their parents pressuring them to get married. / 2. Dusso Mbaalo, from Sare Niary Village, was married at age 17. Dusso’s role with the Grandmother Project is as a storyteller, using stories and riddles to educate young women on the dangers of early marriage, teen pregnancy, and female genital mutilation.
Alarba Kande, from Kael Bassel Village, is an Imam. Kande is the Imam for his village, providing the Muslim community with daily prayers and advice, along with being a Quran teacher for local children learning Arabic. One of the greatest misconceptions about female genital mutilation is that it is recommended in the Quran, which Alarba corrects community members on.
Alarba Kande, from Kael Bassel Village, is an Imam. Kande is the Imam for his village, providing the Muslim community with daily prayers and advice, along with being a Quran teacher for local children learning Arabic. One of the greatest misconceptions about female genital mutilation is that it is recommended in the Quran, which Alarba corrects community members on.
1. Dussu Kande, from Kael Bassel village, was married at age 17. Kande wishes she had a formal education, because she believes that schooling gives young women the opportunity to be independently successful. / 2. Oumou Mar, also from Medina Diambere village, age 18. Oumou has been arranged for marriage since birth, and at age 14, her parents decided it was time. Through mediation, she successfully convinced her parents to let her wait until she felt ready. She is still not married.
1. Dussu Kande, from Kael Bassel village, was married at age 17. Kande wishes she had a formal education, because she believes that schooling gives young women the opportunity to be independently successful. / 2. Oumou Mar, also from Medina Diambere village, age 18. Oumou has been arranged for marriage since birth, and at age 14, her parents decided it was time. Through mediation, she successfully convinced her parents to let her wait until she felt ready. She is still not married.
1. Dussu Kande, from Kael Bassel village, was married at age 17. Kande wishes she had a formal education, because she believes that schooling gives young women the opportunity to be independently successful. / 2. Oumou Mar, also from Medina Diambere village, age 18. Oumou has been arranged for marriage since birth, and at age 14, her parents decided it was time. Through mediation, she successfully convinced her parents to let her wait until she felt ready. She is still not married.