Sowies Intensify Search For Absconded Initiate
The Sowies at Hastings Village are vigorously searching for an initiate Jamestina Kalawa who ran out of the bush thereby exposing their practices and cultural rites.
According to Mammy Bomposseh – head of the sowies, they would not stop not reneged until the land is cleans with the blood of Jamestina the absconded initiate girl who has violated their traditional norm.
According to the initiates, she was tortured and mistreated in the rural area of Freetown Sierra Leone. She was forcefully captured by her grandmother and community members to be initiated into the deadly female genital mutilation (FGM) society (a tradition designed for female ushering them to womanhood), during her stay at her grandmother's place in Hastings Village on 18th May 2023.
Jamestina’s grandma and some relatives of hers tied her up and took her to the Bondo Bush to remove her female genital organ.
She was beaten mercilessly in order to subdue her to their satanic practices and wicked cultural practice. The mistreatment occurred because women who are not circumcised are considered to be unfit to marry and irrelevant in the community and nicknamed ‘bourka’.
Whilst they were struggling, because of the dark in the hut (bondo bush) Jamestina swiftly opened the thatch that was used to cover the society bush and took to her heels for safety. The sowies (traditional heads and initiators – the ones that actually do the cutting of the organ) raised alarm about her escape but because the singing of traditional songs and drums were so laud, they could hardly hear the Sowies call for help.
However, after a while they came out and chased her using the wrong direction heading towards the main street whilst Jamestina ran to the opposite direction up the hills. She hid herself inside the thick bush for almost four hours and later go to a friend’s house who helped her out.
Presently, Jamestina cannot return because she will be seriously beaten before initiated forcefully to the society which is against her belief and tradition, and later face the brute of being a betrayer to the society.
Besides, there is a common belief that anyone who escaped from the initiation bush is considered a total betrayer, an issue that warrant severe torture in the market square and them tied to a stick for seven days inside the bondo bush very close to where they normally pour the blood of the initiates as a way of cleansing and appeasing the gods. And one hardly survived such a punishment. Going back will definitely jeopardize her life and especially so when it is her own family members who are championing this move backed by other members of the bondo society.
Her grandma, community members and some family relatives have also spread words all around Sierra Leone to apprehend her or give any information to aid her capture.
According to her, her grandma told her that every year each family member will have to give one member for initiation and in all these years such tradition has never been flouted saved for this time when she escaped from their grip hence tainted her as an enemy to the traditional values and rite of the community.
