Nguerigne Bambara is small settlement with a Grand Mosque near the coastal town of
Ngaparou. In 1997 the village of
Malicounda Bambara was the first to unilaterally decide to stop female genital cutting. The decision had arisen spontaneously following a development course by the charity
Tostan. People from N'Guerigne Bambara had been on the same course and they decided to follow the other villages example on 6 November 1997. Later that month the President of Senegal spoke in support of Malicounda's initiative. The third village might have been
Keur Simbara, but
Demba Diawara who was an imam there decided that he would persuade other villages in the social group to make the change too. He spent months persuading other villages to join Malicounda Bambara, N'Guerigne Bambara and Keur Simbara and this led to a combined announcement at
Diabougou. Keur Simbara has received Ministers from other countries and its representatives were praised by their own President and
Hillary Clinton. ==References==