Annette Weber and Rüdiger Nehberg – Honorary Citzens of the Afar people

Astonishment and honour during the TARGET scholar conference from Al-Azhar in Cairo! Sheik Darassa from the highest counsel for Islamic affairs for the Afar people (Ethiopia) awards us, Annette and Rüdiger, “honorary citizenship of the Afar people” in the name of his Sultan, Ali Mirah Hanfary.

In the certificate, the Sultan honours:

• “The TARGET conference in Assayta in 2002, organised by Annette and Rüdiger, that was the first and decisive impetus to end the patrimonial, destructive practice of female genital mutilation,
  
• The support of two girls from the Afar people and their families to ensure a more hopeful future.
  
• TARGET’s support of the Afar in the form of the “mobile TARGET clinic.”

The special aspect of this honour: “This is the first time in the history of our tribe that this has been done.”

So we will be returning “home” the next time we visit the Afar. How nice.