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Episode details

World Service,23 Apr 2025,40 mins

Chain Reaction #3: Sarah, the surgeon who performs "magic"

Outlook

Available for over a year

***Please note that this programme includes a graphic and detailed account of FGM*** Fanta Keïta is a woman with an infectious laugh and a strong desire to break away from a difficult past, describing the reconstructive surgery she underwent in Paris. As a 10-year-old child in Guinea, Fanta had been subjected to female genital mutilation. Today she raises awareness of a surgical process that gives women the chance to repair the damage caused. Dr Sarah Abramowicz is the gynaecological surgeon who operated on Fanta. She is based in a hospital in Montreuil to the east of Paris and heads up a multidisciplinary team that aims to support women in France who decide they want to undergo reconstructive surgery. She is president of the organisation, Reparons l'excision (Let's repair the cut). Outside of her work Sarah has another passion - food. It was her neighbour, a food journalist, who introduced her to the flavours of Beninese chef Georgiana Viou. We hear from Georgiana in the next episode of Chain Reaction on Outlook. If you have been affected by FGM there are a number of organisations working internationally to support you including Unicef, UN Women and the World Health Organisation. Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Jo Impey Translators: Alice Gioia and Genevieve Sagno Has your life ever been touched by a stranger? If you have a story please get in touch! Email [email protected] or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707 (Photo: Sarah Abramowicz. Credit: Tina Merandon)

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