'Bondo’ Secret Society Initiators Intensify Search for Jariatu, a 22 year old

By Father Aliko

Bondo, a secret female society that demands the cutting of the female organ is widely practiced in Sierra Leone, West Africa even though it has been criticized by many human rights activists describing it as cruel. The incident which occurred on 5th October 2021 has sent tongues wagging as to how a certain section in society could be so cruel to their children. Successive governments have always remained silent over the act describing it as a sensitive issue, thus leaving the practice widely carried out across the country.

Jariatu Rubiatu Koroma, they say was born on the 27th October 1998 at Tokeh by an uncompromising traditional family whose belief for tradition is second to none.

Information gathered has revealed that when Jariatu was 22, she became the latest young woman who escaped from the hands of the Initiators locally called ”Soweis” for fear for her life against the inhumane forceful act. Fleeing to unknowing destinations is the only means to save herself from this practice where young girls sometimes lose their lives in the bush during cutting of the genital. Reports gathered by this Media house indicate that the life of Jariatu has been under serious threat for some years now as she had no better option than to flee to unknown locations, but that has still not stopped the Soweis from searching for her location.

This media practitioner has also been informed that the practice demands blood from the initiates who is normally used as a sacrifice by the Soweis. Traditionally, the young girls were hanging around looking at old women who carried out the act. Jariatu’s home was frequently invaded by those Soweis, with threatening remarks made against her family to either produce her or be ready to face the consequences. The worst thing that happened was that those who usually perform such cruel act always go free when arrested by the Police and other law enforcement agencies. The reason being, those authorities are also part of the society and will dare not to prosecute the culprits. Many a time, young girls in this part of the World are faced with the risk of been initiated to satisfy the society’s demand or as a requirement for inheritance. Rubiatu been born in Tokeh, Western Rural Area of the country exposed her more to the risk of been initiated as most of her peers have gone through the practice with horrendous stories of the process. Jariatu’s case is a special concern to the initiators because she is the eldest daughter of the family and she should benefit from certain rights, she has to undergo the Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), commonly called Bondo rite secret society, which many of her colleagues have gone through with terrible reflections.

Moreover, information gathered has revealed that she was disadvantaged at the age of seven(7). Her grandmother was the head(sowei) of the Bondo secret society and that she must succeed her late grandmother. Jariatu frowned at their forceful request and condemned the brutal act. It was understood that she was forcefully taken to the Chief’s barray in order to persuade her to get initiated, but she was still proven stubborn and recalcitrant not to be part of it. Close sources told this Journalist that she was taken to the society bush and while waiting for various ceremonies to be performed before initiation. During that period of preparation, Jariatu Rubiatu Koroma used a box of matches and fuel and set the society bush ablaze. She desperately moved to the next rural district, York because the stakeholders of the Bondo secret society were annoyingly chasing her to pay the price for the abomination been caused but were unable to get rid of her.What made the problem worse is the fact that she also set the chief’s barray ablaze, in desperation to escape from the agony of torture and possible death, from the hands of those heartless secret society people. It is said that all hands are on deck within the Bondo secret society to capture her and deal with her as their tradition demands.

However, reliable sources have disclosed to this Writer that her deceased grandmother was one of the strongest advocates for the Bondo society and she held a very senior position which Jariatu has been told to inherit by family members. So, since then the Soweis have been relentlessly searching for Jariatu Rubiatu Koroma to the point of arresting her friend, a member of the Bondo society, whom they accused of discussing the cruelty of the practice to Jariatu and they have vowed not to release her until she hands over Jariatu to them. It was also updated that girls who have gone through the initiation process have been complaining of health complications and do not normally have safe births. By and large, It was revealed that Jariatu secretly left the shores of Sierra Leone to undisclosed destination on Monday 18th October 2021.As the Soweis are bent on either initiate her or wipe her off for failing to cooperate with their societal demands.