December 13, 2021
By Aruna Kamara (BO)
The head of the Soweis in Ngalu Babwe Chiefdom Bo District, who doubles as the Women’s leader, Madam Maseray Jabati has emphatically stated that parents should give priority to education than allowing them to go through the Bondo Society.
She made this statement at the climax of the Commemoration of the 16 Days Activism against Gender based Violence at Ngalu in Babwe Chiefdom last weekend, which was organized by Women Against Violence and Sexual Exploitation in Society(WAVES) Sierra Leone on the Theme: ‘’Orange the World: End Violence Against Women Now!’’ , with support from Medica Modiale/BMZ-Germany.
“I am a Sowei talking to and I want the world to know that there is no office for the Bondo Society but there is an office for somebody going to school to become educated and i appreciate WAVE-SL stands kicking against the idea of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM),” Madam Jabati said.
According to her, “children should not be forced into initiation in the early age of below eighteen years and we should try to stop early marriage of which the Bondo society has been responsible. I am of the fullest conviction that education is the key to success and so parents should focus on educating their children.”
She added that ‘’I am happy about the awareness rising of WAVE-SL in their chiefdom to prioritize education over traditional harmful practices against the children. I want you to know that I am not against Bondo but I will not allow children below eighteen years to be initiated as that will affect their education and the money spent on them during the initiation should be spent to educate them.’’
She pointed out that any girl child below the age of 18 eighteen that enters into my Bondo bush without the parents knowing or without the consent of their parents; I will call their parents to take them back and will be followed by cautioning the child and the parents to allow their children to be educated.’’
Madam Jabati said that there is a fine of five hundred thousand Leones levied on any parents who takes their children below 18 years to go through Bondo Society. She said was in her matured stage before taken into Bondo Society and that the similar thing she anticipates for children.
“Our great grandmothers were matured before being initiated and why can we not follow their footsteps instead of allowing children in their youthful age to go into Bondo Society. Education should come first because there is an office for that. But also our children don’t run to go to school but the run to go to Bondo bush,’’ She claimed.
She stated that they want to change the narrative of women and girls that they want to see more women and girls being educated in Babwe Chiefdom and that is why we are prioritizing education over Bondo society.
Madam Jabati however pleaded with the government and WAVES- SL to provide alternative livelihood for the Soweis who have determined to prioritize education than Bondo as they want their girl child educated to contribute to nation building.
In her reaction , the Director of Women Against Violence and Exploitation in Society (WAVES-SL), Hannah Yambasu said that during the commemoration of the 16 days of Activism against ending violence against women and girls, they never made mention of Bondo but if the head of Soweis is saying that they are prioritizing education over Bondo, is a step in the right direction because they are working with them to ensure that the children’s safe space is protected so that they can be educated to take them from poverty and bring development into their chiefdom and the country as a whole.
“The women’s leader of Bagwe chiefdom was denied education and the only option they had was Bondo and was happy to hear from her that it will be the wish of the children to go through Bondo and is determined to ensure that their children will be educated before they are allow to go through Bondo”, she said.
Madam Yambasu added that “WAVES-SL is totally against traditional harmful practices including Female Genital Mutilation and if education is their priority is a step in the right direction and we have been given livelihood support to the women but we are not specifically targeting the Soweis.”
She concludes by saying “we have given them basic agricultural inputs to help them and also their children and in addition we have introduced the Village Saving Loan Association where they meet and contribute and loan from it ,and this is helping to empower the women to support their women achieve their education.”