By Ragan M. Conteh

A local non-governmental organisation championing the empowerment and rights of women and girls, Lift Sierra Leone, with funds from Irish Aid on Saturday 14th December 2024, ended 16 days of activism, which meant to end  Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Mile 91.

Lift Sierra Leone is an organization stablished to fight against Female Genital Mutilation

(FGM), Gender based violence, child marriage and teenage pregnancy in not only it operational areas but other communities across the country.

The ceremony was considered as an extraordinary moment that gives a new face to the practice of the long standing Bondo Culture in Sierra Leone.

The Chairperson Board of Directors of Lift Sierra Leone, Gibril Kargbo, said Lift Sierra Leone has been  in Sierra Leone for years now.

The organization works to enhance citizen’s active participation in Human Rights issues especially on deep-rooted cultures.

In Tonkolili District, has promoted effective information dissemination, advocacy, lobbying, dialogue forums, civic education and community driven programs and activities.

Kargbo said  the organization works hard to breaking the chains of deprivation, ignorance and gender bias which are highly considered as obstacles to women’s development & progress in Sierra Leone.

He thanked all those who participated in the Lift Sierra Leone toward ending FGM in Tonkolili district.

Madam Reguatu Neneh Turay thanked Lift Sierra Leone for their unwavering commitment to ending FGM and all forms of violence against women and girls in the district.

She said the walk to end FGM is a testament to  raising the on dangers associated with the practice of FGM.

She said girls and women must be protected.

She spoke about the ‘Bloodless Bondo’ which is also known as ‘the alternative rite of passage’ an initiative of FAHP and that was first implemented in one of the surrounding villages in Port Loko.

She said the bloodless is geared towards saving the lives of Women and Girls from dying “under the knife” by cutting a woman’s genital body part, clitoris.

Today, she said 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, Lift Sierra Leone is galvanizing resources and mounting campaigns to discourage, eliminate and to end this cruel act against women and girls who are forcefully initiated all in circle of customs and traditions.

She said she 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.

FAHP’s chairperson expressed her deepest appreciation to the people especially the traditional authorities, the Soweis and the Parents for their great participation in the walk to end FGM organized by Lift Sierra Leone.

“Again, I want to re-echo and reaffirm that Lift Sierra Leone in collaboration with international partners are not in any way against the Bondo Culture, but they are strongly against the knifing of the Clitoris, that which they 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,” 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. Lift Sierra Leone is not only using the Bloodless Bondo to fight against Female Genital Mutilation in Tonkolili District, but also providing alternative livelihood support like micro credit for single parents.

As FAHP’s chair, “I want to thank our donors Irish Aid for deeming it significant to support the fight against Female Genital Mutilation through Lift Sierra Leone,”.

She said they are making huge progress towards the journey of Zero Tolerance to FGM, and she is calling on authorities of  ending FGM in Sierra Leone like other countries.

As FGM/C is an ancient traditional practice that has been taking place for decade of years. It is often mistakenly believed that FGM/C should be performed for religious reasons.

Both Christian and Islamic scholars during the event in Mile 91 explicitly taken a stand against FGM/C, producing clear statements that it is not a religious requirement and is in opposition to the core principles of each faith.

During the event religious leaders said FGM/C is not required by any of the major religious texts, and many faith leaders have spoken out against it. However, at the community level, many people still believe that FGM/C is a religious requirement.

To shift these deeply-held beliefs, local faith leaders must speak out against the practice, but this often needs to be supported by high-level statements and framing on the issue.  It is essential that local faith based leaders are trained on FGM/C and what each religion says about it so that they can speak out with confidence and credibility.

Students from various schools also pleaded on the need to end FGM entirely in Tonkolili district.