I was in Ethiopia last year. Life changing experience in more ways than one. The most important? I had my eyes opened to FGM - female genital mutilation.

It's been a long journey since then. Almost six months of transition and finding the courage to stop working for a daily wage and try and immerse myself in this field.

Part of the reason for a blog? Because now I'm out there in the world, self motivation is going to be one of my issues. I thought that sharing the journey might somehow make the path I travel wider.

I don't want to give too much history, I also want to tread carefully at first - this is a difficult field and some are working in it with certain risks attached. So, full disclosure may not always be possible. However, what I want to do in this blog is show just what is going on, the battle that is faced, the wars that are being fought on the frontline.

I make no apology for emotive language, I simply say that this is an emotional issue, but more than this, it is an entirely preventable thing that happens. It happens to young girls, every day of the year. We can prevent this from happening. This is not cultural insensitivity or imperialism - it is a blatant infringement of human rights, of child rights. Every woman has the right to her life (because some die as a direct result) their health, their genitals. To me, it's simple.

So, here begins my journey. I hope you can join me on it!