Grantee: Somali Family Safety Task Force
Timeframe: July 2024 – June 2027 | Amount: $438,035
- Year 1: July 2024 – June 2025 | Amount: $146,035
- Year 2: July 2025 – June 2026 | Amount: $146,000
- Year 3: July 2026 – June 2027 | Amount: $146,000
The Somali Family Safety Task Force (SFSTF) works to prevent Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) through survivor support, community education, and healthcare provider outreach. The project raises awareness of the severe health impacts and human rights violations associated with FGM while supporting healing and reducing health disparities among affected communities.
SFSTF primarily serves Muslim women from Somali, Gambian, and other East and West African communities in King County, many of whom have experienced FGM. Although the practice is less common in the United States, it continues to affect immigrant and refugee communities. Cultural stigma and fear often prevent survivors from discussing FGM with healthcare providers, increasing the risk of complications during childbirth and limiting access to medical and mental health services.
The project provides trauma-informed workshops for survivors, offering peer support, education about legal rights and available health services, and opportunities for healing in a culturally responsive environment. All participants completed the workshops, and several expressed a commitment to protecting future generations from FGM.
Since receiving PHPDA funding, SFSTF has strengthened its relationship-based outreach strategy by working through trusted community leaders, elders, and faith leaders to discreetly connect survivors with services. In response to participant feedback, workshops transitioned to a virtual format, providing greater privacy and increasing engagement. The curriculum has also expanded to include additional mental health support, peer discussion, legal rights education, and referrals to healthcare and community resources.
The project continues to face challenges related to stigma, fear, and limited access to culturally competent, trauma-informed care. Increased immigration enforcement and anti-immigrant rhetoric have further contributed to reluctance among some community members to seek support or share personal experiences.
In Year 3, SFSTF will continue survivor workshops, culturally responsive outreach, community education, and referral services while strengthening data collection and evaluation to demonstrate program outcomes and support long-term sustainability. The organization also plans to document participant stories and expand workshops as community trust and engagement continue to grow.
ABOUT OUR GRANTEE
Somali Family Safety Task Force
“The Somali Family Safety Task Force is a nonprofit community-based-organization (CBO) located in the NewHolly neighborhood in Seattle, WA that serves refugee and immigrant women and their families. Not only are we community based but we are also community driven. Our founders as well as the majority of our staff and volunteers are Somali and/or East African. Our programs are created with input from our community and are often at their request. Programs range from computer literacy training to combating and preventing gender-based-violence. We pride ourselves in being an organization by-and-for our community.”
