New Animated Film ‘The True Story of Ghati and Rhobi’

The True Story of Ghati & Rhobi/Similizi ya Kweli ya Ghati na Rhobi

The True Story of Ghati and Rhobi or Similizi ya Kweli ya Ghati na Rhobi in Swahili is a 5min animated film (English and Swahili versions) made on female genital mutilation (FGM).

The film was developed by FORWARD and Animage Films in partnership with CDF.

It is an inspirational story about two girls (Ghati and Rhobi) resisting their community’s practice of FGM. They show courage by saying no to a practice that they heard would be painful and that some girls die from. With the help of community elders, they change the way their community treats a girl’s transition into womanhood by ending the practice.

The aim of the film is to offer a more visual way to invoke passion and action to help end FGM. The film was designed to convey to the viewer the power of individuals to be proactive in combatting harmful practices such as FGM and it offers hope that FGM will end in Tanzania. Both a Swahili and English version of the film have been developed for use in Tanzania and other Swahili speaking East African countries.

Ghati & Rhobi safe with their mothers

English version: The True Story of Ghati & Rhobi

Swahili version: Similizi ya Kweli ya Ghati na Rhobi

Facilitators Guide: To assist in the films effective distribution and use for social awareness campaigns a facilitators guide has also been developed (in English and Swahili). The guide is intended to help facilitators (young women, teachers, police and anyone who wishes to show the film to their groups or networks or in their work place) to lead a discussion on FGM following the screening of the film. The guide is currently being trialled and is available on request from FORWARD and CDF.

Funded by Comic Relief and The Sigrid Rausing Trust. Created and co-produced by the award winning filmmaker and writer Ruth Beni. Animated by Yael Ozsinay. Soundrack and music by Congolese artist Mulele Matondo Afrika.

The lyrics for the song at the end of The True Story of Ghati and Rhobi have a very powerful message in Swahili, dispelling some of the myths around why FGM is performed.

The True story of Ghati and Rhobi Song Lyrics:

Verse 1: A girl child needs protection and love, just like a boy child

Verse 2: My father, my mother, show the love you claim, protect me from FGM

Chorus: The rains wont stop, the harvest won’t fail

The soil will remain fertile, the girls will still get married one day

Even though we have stopped circumcising our girls.

Both versions of the film can be used for professional and educational reasons, please email Naomi Reid: [email protected] for a downloadable version, stating how you wish to use the film.

If you are in Tanzania please email [email protected] should you require a DVD and facilitators guide, stating how you wish to use the film.