More than 50 women recently graduated from ‘Bloodless Bondo’ rite at Matotoka Town in Tonkolili District Northern Sierra Leone.
The bloodless Bondo rite was supported by the Amazonian Initiative Movement (AIM), a local non-governmental organisation championing the empowerment and rights of women and girls. The ceremony was considered as an extraordinary moment that gives a new face to the processes of the long standing Bondo Culture in Sierra Leone.
The ‘Bloodless Bondo’ which is also known as ‘the alternative rite of passage’ is an initiative of the Amazonian Initiative Movement that was first implemented in one of the surrounding villages in Port Loko. It is geared towards saving the lives of our Women and Girls from dying under the knife and preventing them from the adverse effects that are directly associated with the cutting of the Clitoris.
Today, many have lost their lives, some are insane, others with everlasting complications all in the name of Female Genital Mutilation. Considering the underlying negative circumstances of the act, countries all over the world are galvanizing resources and mounting campaigns to discourage, eliminate and to end this cruel act against women and girls especially those below the age of consent and those that are forcefully initiated all in the circle of customs and traditions. Amazonian Initiative Movement believes that Culture is manmade, and that there is still time to go back and figure out the odds and maintain the goods that will match the present generation. The Executive Director for the Amazonian Initiative Movement- Hon. Mrs. Rugiatu Neneh Turay Koroma, expressed her deepest appreciation to the people of Matotoka in Tonkolili District especially the traditional authorities, the Soweis and the Parents for their great participation in the over two weeks process of the Bloodless Bondo.
“Again, I want to re-echo and reaffirm that Amazonian Initiative Movement in collaboration with local and international partners are not in any way against the Bondo Culture, but we are strongly against the knifing of the Clitoris, that which we are all fighting to abolish. The alternative rite of passage (Bloodless Bondo) is a clear manifestation of our commitment to uphold the values of our Bondo Culture,” Hon. Mrs. Neneh Turay Koroma said. “Before this time, the Bondo ceremony is considered as a training ground for our young girls to womanhood, but today it is more of extortion of resources to our poor families and untimely death in which there are so many evidences. Our Organization is not only using the Bloodless Bondo to fight against Female Genital Mutilation, but we are also providing alternative livelihood activities for Soweis, removing Bondo bushes to construct Schools and the Construction of Hand-Dug Wells to ease the challenges of accessing safe drinking water from far distance.”
She said that as an alternative rite of passage,they are going through all the stages of the Bondo Culture with exception of the cutting of the Clitoris.” As the Executive Director, I want to thank our donors for deeming it significant to support the fight against Female Genital Mutilation through the Amazonian Initiative Movement Sierra Leone,” she said.
The Matotoka initiation was very colorful to an extent that the surrounding communities are yearning and have requested to be part of the next phase. She said that they are making huge progress towards the journey of Zero Tolerance to FGM, and she is calling on authorities of FGM in Sierra Leone like other countries. NASOKO, the lead Sowie for the Matotoka Bloodless Bondo, said, “I was personally aggrieved when the fight against Female Genital Mutilation started in Sierra Leone, I developed so much hatred for Rugiatu Neneh Turay because I see her as an antagonist to the Bondo Society, all in the name of
Misinformation. At some point, I took my time to engage her on the mission against FGM and there I begin to realize the need to end the cutting and maintain the culture.” “I learnt a lot during our first engagement. I was seeing the fight against Female Genital Mutilation as a move to end our source of livelihood and to belittle our long standing Bondo Culture. Honestly, the cutting of the clitoris is painful and many parents could not stand to see, but rather to weep bitterly in silence,” NASOKO said. “Through the intervention of the Amazonian Initiative Movement, I have laid my tools and committed to end Female Genital Mutilation in Sierra Leone. To me, the Bloodless Bondo is the right way to go because we still enjoy the sweet sound of the Samborie and Singing. I am happy to be part of this safe transformation of preparing our young girls for womanhood. In Matotoka, we have made history and we have done Justice to maintain the Bondo Culture. I want to thank Mrs. Rugiatu Neneh Turay for the initiative.” The Amazonian Initiative Movement, adequately abbreviated as AIM is a Human Rights Non- Governmental Organization. AIM is an organization that works to enhance citizen’s active participation and involvement in upholding and promoting Human Rights, Culture and Participatory governance at grassroots levels through effective information dissemination, advocacy, lobbying, dialogue forums, civic education and community driven programs and activities. The Organization is also committed in breaking the chains of deprivation, ignorance and gender bias which are highly considered as obstacles to women’s Development & Progress in Sierra Leone.
By: Amb. Unisa Totti Fofanah, Anti-FGM Campaigner