By Foday Moriba Conteh
Disability rights activist Alafi Taylor has condemned the alleged forceful initiation of a 16-year-old visually impaired boy into the Wande Society in Bo, Southern Sierra Leone, describing the act as a violation of the child’s fundamental rights.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Calabash Newspaper, Taylor disclosed that he received a tip-off on 15th January 2025 from a concerned resident who requested anonymity for security reasons. According to the source, the teenager born to non-disabled parents was taken against his will to undergo initiation rites, despite strong opposition from his mother and the boy himself.
Taylor explained that the boy’s father is a senior member of the Wande Society and had previously indicated that his son would not be initiated because of his visual impairment. However, pressure from other society members reportedly compelled him to reverse that decision. The society allegedly insisted that, as the man’s only son, the teenager must be initiated in order to succeed his father within the society.
Reports gathered by the activist indicate that on 3rd January 2025, society members stormed the family home and forcibly took the boy to the society bush. The mother was said to have been overpowered and left in tears, while other community members who wanted to intervene refrained out of fear of possible reprisals.
Taylor said the information placed him in a difficult position as an advocate for persons with disabilities, knowing the sensitivity surrounding secret societies. Nevertheless, he decided to pursue the matter, arguing that silence would expose more vulnerable children to similar abuse.
He recounted contacting the boy’s father to verify the claims but was allegedly met with threats. “He told me I had no right to question him because I am not a member of the society and that if I wanted to discuss the issue, I should meet him in person,” Taylor stated.
The activist maintained that forcing the child into initiation is unlawful and violates his right to freedom of choice and association. He called on organizations of persons with disabilities, civil society groups, the media, religious leaders, and government authorities to intervene.
“This act makes persons with disabilities feel unsafe and undermines our dignity,” Taylor said. “We may have disabilities, but we deserve a society where we can freely decide where we belong without coercion or intimidation.”
He urged the Government of Sierra Leone to strengthen protections for children and persons with disabilities and to ensure that cultural practices do not override human rights and the rule of law.
