Marci Foundation
Our History
Clitoral Restoration Surgery and Training
Marci Foundation is a California nonprofit public benefit corporation with a mission to end the practice of Female Genital Mutilation / Cutting (FGM/C) worldwide by providing free surgical care in the form of Clitoral Restoration Surgery that restores sexual function and dignity to women, teach the next generation of surgeons how to perform these procedures, and educate the public about the emotional, mental and physical health impact of FGM/C. Dr. Marci Bowers and her team of physicians from the US, Canada, and Kenya are committed to providing restorative surgical care for women who have experienced genital cutting with hopes to improve sexual function, restore a sense of dignity, bodily integrity, and self-worth to women affected.
Dr. Bowers is one of the few surgeons worldwide who perform surgical reversal of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). In 2007 and 2009, she traveled to France to receive training from the renowned physician Dr. Pierre Foldes. Using delicate surgical techniques, she removes scar tissue, corrects and reverses infibulation, and works to restore sensation. The procedure is relatively simple and short in duration (under one hour), with most patients experiencing improved cosmetic appearance, sensation, and a reduction in pain and infection. Many patients report being orgasmic for the first time in their lives after healing from the surgery.
Africa Medical Missions
In March 2014, Dr. Bowers traveled to Africa to train surgeons at the Hospital Kamkaso “Pleasure Hospital” in Burkina Faso, where victims of FGM will be able to undergo identity-restoring surgery once the hospital is rightfully granted its licensure. In 2017 and 2018, she traveled to Kenya to train local surgeons in Clitoral Restoration Surgery. The program in Kenya is now operational, with a team of local physicians affiliated with the University of Nairobi Residency Program in Plastic Surgery who are available and ready to treat patients.
Dr. Abdullah Adan, a local Kenyan plastic surgeon previously trained by Dr. Bowers, performs Clitoral Restoration Surgeries (CRS) locally at market cost in his outpatient surgery center, Platinum Surgery Center, in Nairobi. His operating room is fully equipped with the necessary instruments and trained staff (OR techs, nurses) to provide such delicate and culturally sensitive surgeries. Due to the high demand for this surgery and the cost being prohibitive for most locals, they allow the Marci Foundation team to use their facilities at least one week per year for approximately 5 – 10 days in order to offer CRS at low to no cost (sliding scale) for patients recruited by local women's health advocacy groups.