BALDWIN: The act of female genital mutilation is something more than 140 million girls and women have endured.</s>BERMAN: And being cut often means the end of school but this week's CNN hero refused to accept that fate. The practice now illegal in her homeland of Kenya, it still persists in some rural areas but Kakenya Ntaiya is challenging that tradition.</s>KAKENYA NTAIYA, COMMUNITY CRUSADER: I avoided the ceremony. As far as I could -- most of the Maasai girls undergo this mutilation when they are 12. I really liked going to school. I knew that once I go through the cutting, I am going to be married off and my dream of becoming a teacher was going to end. My mind said "run away" but I had to face my dad and say I will only go through the cutting if you let me go back to school. It was then the morning, using a very old rusty knife, with no anesthesia. I can never forget that day. Eventually, I was the first girl in my community to go to college in the U.S. I am Kakenya Ntaiya and I returned to my village to start a school for girls so they too can achieve their full potential. When girls start at our school, they are very shy. Over time, we see them very confident. They are doing very well. It's the most exciting thing our work is about empowering the girls. These girls can say no to being cut. They're dreaming of becoming lawyers, teachers, doctors. (inaudible) and I see my daughter could do better than my son. I came back so girls in my community don't have to negotiate like I did to achieve their dreams. That's why I wake up every morning.</s>BERMAN: What a great smile. How inspiring. On Monday on STARTING POINT, Soledad will have a sit-down interview with Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg about that controversial new book, "Lean In".</s>BALDWIN: Thanks so much for being with us. Have a wonderful weekend and to you as well, my friend.</s>BERMAN: You too. "CNN NEWSROOM" with Carol Costello starts now.
Kakenya Ntaiya Challenges Female Genital Mutilation