SALLY JEPCHUPA

Through Light a Girl Initiative, Sally leads programs that combine advocacy, SRHR education, mentorship, and community engagement. She works directly with school going girls through life skills training, girls’ clubs, and empowerment sessions that build confidence and informed decision making. She also engages parents, youth, religious leaders, and community elders in dialogue to challenge harmful norms and promote the protection of girls. In addition, she supports survivor storytelling and creates safe spaces where girls can share experiences, heal, and access psychosocial support.

Over the years, Sally’s work has reached more than 7,000 people through school trainings, community dialogues, girls’ forums during school holidays, and engagement with local leaders and teachers. One of her most defining impacts came when a young girl she mentored expressed how the training gave her confidence, role models, and renewed motivation to stay in school and work hard for her future. That moment reaffirmed for Sally that even small interventions can create lasting transformation in a girl’s life. Despite her impact, Sally has faced significant challenges, including deep cultural resistance, fear based beliefs surrounding FGM, limited resources, and lack of consistent support for grassroots advocacy work. She has also navigated stigma tied to speaking out as a survivor and the difficulty of operating in environments where silence is often enforced. Nevertheless, she continues to push forward with courage, building trust within communities and working collaboratively with local leaders, teachers, and institutions to create change.