*In Port Loko…*
*Bondo Bush Becomes Modern School*
By Ragan M. Conteh
The Executive Director of the Amazonian Initiative Movement (AIM) – Sierra Leone, Madam Rugiatu Neneh Turay, has on 1 May 2023 handed over a newly constructed modern 6 classroom primary school building for people of Rosengbeh village, Koya Chiefdom in Port Loko District.
The newly constructed school is part of her organisation’s work to end female genital mutilation in Sierra Leone. It is also part of her stride to replace Bondo bushes with schools in the country.
Her organisation, AIM-SL, has over the years embarked on saving the lives of women and girls across the country and in the effort has replaced many Bondo bushes with school buildings across the country. The newly constructed school is one among the many ongoing supports to end FGM and continue the empowerment of women and girls in the country.
Addressing the attendees during the opening ceremony of the new six classroom building at Rosengbeh village, the Executive Director of Amazonian Initiative Movement (AIM), Madam Rugiatu Neneh Turay, informed that as an organisation, they removed FGM shrines and built schools in their places. According to her, ‘If we really want our daughters to go to school, let’s reduce the Bondo bushes, and let’s ensure the initiators (Sowies) to monitor these girls during school hours.’
Construction of the school is supported by BMZ/PfefferminzGreen.
Before the construction of the school, the organisation held consultative meetings which were geared towards knowing the felt needs of the community stakeholders for the construction of a modern primary school to replace the secret society (Bondo) bushes in the community.
The organisation is also geared towards rebranding the socio-cultural status quo in Sierra Leone with emphasis on female cutting. During the handing over ceremony there were cultural displays and traditional songs by the people of Rosengbeh communities in appreciation of the good work of Madam Rugiatu Neneh Turay.
Madam Turay applauded stakeholders in the communities for attending the ceremony, adding that her organisation decided to construct the school as a replacement of the Bondo society bushes. She intimated that education has been proven to be a successful agent of change in terms of ending female circumcision.
The Executive Director stated how her organisation is fighting tooth and nail to help women and girls who suffer depression as a result of this bad practice. She informed the gathering that in the northern part, people have what they call, “Yanka” where girls are kept for five to ten years with no economic benefit.
‘I want people to know that I am part of the Bondo society and I am proud of it but hate the female cutting aspect. We still have the highest infant mortality rate in the world, yet, we are scared to talk about female genital cutting which is a contributing factor,’ Madam Neneh Turay.
She underscored how rural women and girls are the victims of the practice, adding that educated people hardly involve their children but they are the ones sponsoring the construction of Bondo bushes across the country.
Madam Turay informed stakeholders that it is difficult to find a politician who sponsored the initiation of his/her daughter but they are the ones bankrolling the initiation of young girls in rural communities.
‘The Bondo Society is an institution where women meet and interact irrespective of our political alliances, educational background, and status. When we are in the society we are all the same and so we want to ensure we bring back the good things that have been eroded,’ Rugiatu stated.
She maintained that AIM-SL will continue implementing projects “Replacing the Bondo Bushes with Schools” as well as working with children and communities that have agreed to replace their Bondo bushes with schools.
The human rights lawyer Yasmin Jusu Sheriff pointed out the implications when girls are subjected to the FGM practice. She said she came to know Madam Rugiatu Neneh Turay many years ago, adding that their sisterhood was deeply established when Madam Turay was working to end the FGM practice.
Lawyer Sheriff appealed to parents and Soweis to send their children to school instead of sending them to a practice that retrogresses them. She said a lot of girls have been affected negatively due to this harmful traditional practice. She promised to do something good for the newly constructed modern school.
The Programme Manager of AIM SL, Alpha Kamara also buttressed the importance of replacing the Bondo bushes at Rosengbeh and other communities with modern schools. He said the replacement of these schools is part of AIM-SL’s strides to eliminate the practice of female cutting in the country.
The Secretary of the Forum Against Harmful Practices, Madam Aminata Koroma, represented the Forum while addressing the attendees and called on the initiators to stop the habit of initiating young girls and to help closely monitor them.
She said the reason why the initiators should stop the initiation of girls is because there has been no benefit in what they do, save for entangling themselves in a lot of sins.
She maintained that since Sowies started the trade of girl initiation, none of them can boast of having a car or living a decent life. The Deputy Minister of Social Welfare assured AIM-SL of their fullest support.
The Deputy Social Welfare Minister also assured teachers in the newly constructed school of pin codes and appealed to all to prioritise education thereby supporting President Julius Maada Bio’s flagship free quality education.
Madam Salamatu Kamara of Tamaraneh Organisation who chaired the ceremony also emphasised on the need for parents and Soweis to abandon the practice of FGM as it has negative outcomes on women and girls.
Other speakers during the handing over ceremony made similar statements.