This International Women’s Day, two Lancashire lasses are helping women in Africa

Two inspirational females, Celia Gaze, from Edgworth, Bolton and Jean Anderson from Morecambe, have teamed up on International Women’s Day to do good in the world.

These influential women are helping to make conscious choices - for instance, working to save women in Africa from female genital mutilation (FGM).

After experiencing burnout, Celia channelled her passion into creating The Wellbeing Farm, an event venue celebrated for its unique charm, including llamas in bow ties. This B-Corp organisation emerged from her dedication to helping others after overcoming her challenges.

Upon meeting Jean, the founder of One Woman At A Time Charity—which assists women in Africa in escaping the horrors of FGM—Celia was inspired to become the charity's Chair.

She urges people to lend their support this International Women’s Day, March 8, to improve the lives of countless women. Her commitment to the cause deepened after she undertook a 67-km trek along Spain’s Camino de Santiago, raising crucial funds for the charity.

This journey led her to witness Jean's impactful work firsthand in Africa, motivating her to help establish a rehabilitation centre for women.

Jean, a former midwife with extensive experience in Uganda, Zambia, and Nigeria, encountered the stark realities of female genital mutilation during the 1990s. This pivotal experience propelled her to found a charity that has since saved many girls from the dangers of FGM and forced marriages. Jean’s journey began through a simple introduction to a network of midwives working against FGM.

She recounts meeting a young woman named Margaret in West Pokot, Kenya, whose heartbreaking story sparked her resolve to act.

"It all began with an introduction,” said Jean: “One of my Hypnobirthing home birthing mothers connected me to a midwife working in Kenya who is doing great work with FGM.

"That simple connection led me to West Pokot, a marginalised county in rural Kenya. It was supposed to be just a few weeks, but it became the start of something much bigger.

“In West Pokot, I met Margaret, a young Pokot woman who had obstetric complications and with no clinic, hospital, midwives or doctors or transport, the tribal birth attendants had no option but to tell her to start walking towards the nearest town.

“In heavy labour she walked 30 kilometres, then another 30 kilometres by motorbike to seek help at a mission hospital.

"Arriving with a ruptured uterus, it was too late to save her child.

"When we met, she was in a terrible condition and couldn’t receive the treatment she needed.

"That night, I made a decision that would change everything. Against the odds, I decided to move Margaret from the hospital and travelled 70 kilometres through the night to transfer her to another facility. Margaret received care, antibiotics, operations and clean sheets and kindness, but three weeks later died. But her death became a call to action—a moment that ignited my resolve."

Upon returning to West Pokot the following year to train traditional birth attendants, Jean discovered that Margaret’s daughters were at risk of being sold into forced early marriages after enduring illegal FGM.

Determined to prevent that, she secured their safety, providing sanctuary, education, and hope—a journey that would change the lives of Margaret’s daughters and the entire community.

Despite the challenges, Jean’s efforts have protected over 100 girls from illegal FGM and forced marriages. The charity provides them safety, education, reusable sanitary supplies, and psychological support in areas lacking trauma care. Through One Woman At A Time, Jean's mission empowers girls to gain independence and envision brighter futures. The charity was born from the desire to help individual lives, turning small acts of kindness into a broader movement for change.

“We have been able to provide these girls with safety, food, education, reusable sanitary wear, and psychological support in a region where trauma care is non-existent. We’ve established a small library, donated medical equipment, and introduced Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) to help with PTSD.

"Our work empowers girls to achieve economic independence and envision futures filled with possibility instead of fear.

"It all started with a moment of defiance. When someone told me, “You can’t help everyone, Jean. This is Africa!” I replied, “I can’t help everyone, but I can help her.”

"From that moment, One Woman At A Time was born—a mission to help one woman, one girl, one life at a time. Now, that mission has touched countless lives."

Celia joined this mission last year. Fully inspired by her experiences in Kenya, she is launching a national Conscious Day on March 13 to support projects that empower women. She said, “The idea for Conscious Day came to me while helping the charity One Woman At A Time in Kenya. I realized there was a gap for a day focused on mindfulness and conscious decision-making.”

You can find out more at https://consciousday.co.uk/