The first project of the Waris Dirie Foundation, now called the Desert Flower Foundation, was preventing Safa, the small girl in the fgm scene from becoming a real life victim of this cruel ritual. The sponsorship program they developed was so successful that it quickly expanded and now saves hundreds of children each year.
Lucinda (from the modeling agency) says to Waris she would be without broadband in Africa. Broadband didn't exist in the early to mid 80s when this story took place.