By Nasratu Kargbo
Matimba is the first village in Sierra Leone to demolish their ‘Yanka’ or society bush where women earmarked for training into performing the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and other traditional practices, according to the Executive Director of Amazonian Initiative Movement Rugiatu Neneh Turay.
Turay made this statement at a ceremony held to commission a formal education school at Matimba village which is located in Koya Chiefdom, Port Loko District.
“We have demolished Bondo bushes however this village is the first to destroy the place where practitioners are trained” Turay said. She explained that many Soweiis or leaders have declared that they will not be involved in FGM but that they have never destroyed the yanka.
She stated that women spend over ten to fifteen years in those ‘sacred’ institutions learning and perfecting the skills of ‘cutting’ other women.
“This is why women are lagging behind, because if women spend ten years in a shrine doing nothing developmental, and we still want gender equality, it will be difficult to achieve”, she explained that the men’s traditional society does not deprive the boys from going to school, whilst it is the contrary for girls due to the various practices they undergo.
Turay said that she believes that engaging communities and grassroots people yield results and create changes, explaining that they understand the culture and speak the language. She said that she loves the culture but does not like the cutting aspect of it.
She explained that she won an award and ten thousand euros and decided to build the school to replace the institution that was demolished. Turay noted that despite the money not being enough, she established a Gofund me where five persons including her husband massively assisted her with the funds for the school.
One of the soweis Abibatu Bangura called on her colleagues to declare that they would not indulge in such act and will not surrender all their tools such as knives used for initiation.
Highlighting one of the negative effects of such practice Bangura added that some soweis in the execution of their duties mutilate all the genital parts, which she said leads to the women becoming less sexually gratified.
Bangura explained that as a result, they now have an alternative way of initiation, where all the rites of passage are being done except for the cutting. She said girls are taught how to behave and respect elders, amongst other things.
“Soweis these days only focus cutting instead of training them on being well-mannered women in the society”.
She said that girls should go to school, and advised parents that the monies they get from selling food stuffs and livestock should go towards educating their children instead of using the money to facilitate their children’s initiation.
Bangura said that they met their ancestors practicing Bondo Society as a culture, adding that she believes that it is not enforced by God.
Koya Chiefdom Paramount Chief Kompa Bomboli III spoke on the relevance of education and encouraged his subjects to ensure that they allow their kids go to school and not take them to farm during school hours.
He added that if need be, he will make bylaws to force parents to take their children to school, adding that the school is not a museum or a furniture.
He called on the Deputy Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) Emily Gogra to approve teachers that will be appointed to teach in the school. The PC appealed that elites will only leave the city for the village if they are well paid.
Speaking on behalf of the government, the Deputy Minister of MBSSE Emily Gogra promised to bring four teachers to the school and added that they will approve two of those teachers, who will be supervised to make sure they execute their job.
She advised the parents to take care of the school and the property, explaining that on her way to the village she observed that there’s no primary school in any of the villages and that the school will serve all those villages.
Gogra promised that if the parents ensure that their kids go to school, she will make sure school feeding programme goes to that school. She added that she will convey the message to her Minister.
The programme ended with Soweis handing over their white scarfs- a symbol of their authority with colorful ones.
The school named S.A.T Koroma Memorial Primary School in Matimba is named after a late politician and is to benefit children thirteen villages within Koya chiefdom.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (06/09/23)
