Karifa Kello Thoronka
Female Circumcision, which is very dangerous to women’s health, is a process of excision of the clitoris and labia minora with razor by a senior society member called Sowei, who has no medical training but believed to be spiritually powerful.
The 33-year-old Fatmata Kargbo learned the spirit of resistance from her mother who once undergo female genital Mutilation, whiles narrating to this press, Fatmata noted by saying that her mother once told her the danger of Bondo Society. Relating to a girl the wife of one Sahid Aminu who had been cut the same day as her mother, experience serious bleeding and died during the process.
Fatmata Kargbo’s Campaign against bondo was vocal, she always shows up at the local police station, and government offices to preach against bondo society but the Government pay less attention to her.
Speaking with one of the senior Sowei by the name of Baromie Koroma, she mentioned that it’s a must for a female child to go through Bondo before they can be respected and accepted in the society. Noting that since Fatmata has refused to be initiated, the community will continue to humiliate and harassed her like they have done to others.
The situation that Fatmata Kargbo found herself was really a nightmare, as everyone in the community is supporting bondo society. Moreover, since people are not supposed to talk about the Bondo secret society, the life of Famata is in danger.
Successive governments have made little or no effort to change this picture, either because the practice is so deeply embedded in the culture of the people or because politicians fear losing the votes of the people if they attempt to ban it.
