By Ragan M. Conteh
In a groundbreaking step towards ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Sierra Leone while the country’s cultural heritage, the Amazonian Initiative Movement Sierra Leone (AIM-SL) has enrolled 55 young women into a Bloodless Bondo society in Mabalay Community, Thawuya Section, Bake Loko Chiefdom, Port Loko District.
The initiative demonstrates that girls and women can celebrate their transition into womanhood, learn the values and traditions of Bondo society, and participate in cultural ceremonies without being subjected to Female Genital mutilation.
The programme began with the traditional Masorko (Bondo vigil), marking the official entry into the bush, where participants will spend approximately ten days undergoing cultural education, leadership training, and traditional rites. The only element removed from the initiation is the cutting of the female genitalia.
The women will graduate at the end of the programme as full members of the Bondo society through a safe, dignified and bloodless rite of passage.
AIM-SL has indicated that partners and stakeholders will be invited to witness different stages of the programme, demonstrating that cultural identity can be preserved without violence.
Updating partner organisations, AIM-SL Executive Director Madam Rugiatu Neneh Turay thanked supporters for standing alongside communities working to replace harmful practices with safer alternatives.
She explained that the Bloodless Bondo model preserves the positive aspects of Bondo society, including teachings on respect, discipline, womanhood, leadership, family life and community values, while eliminating Female Genital Mutilation.
“Bloodless Bondo retains our culture but removes the harm,” she said. “Girls and women should never have to suffer pain, trauma or lifelong complications in order to be accepted by their communities.”
Madam Turay noted that all participants underwent a screening process before admission.
“In the Bloodless Bondo, we do not accept underage girls. We want people to see these women as role models for a new generation. We are also developing traditional language, symbols and practices that strengthen the culture without harming women.”
The initiative comes at a time when the future of FGM remains a subject of national debate. Following recent public comments by Sierra Leone’s First Lady expressing support for women who perform FGM, AIM-SL’s work presents a different vision—one that demonstrates culture and human rights do not have to be in conflict.
For many campaigners, the programme shows that communities do not have to choose between preserving Bondo traditions and protecting the health and dignity of girls. They can do both.
The Bloodless Bondo model has become one of the strongest practical examples that FGM is not a prerequisite for cultural identity.
Port Loko District has emerged as one of the pioneering districts demonstrating that alternative rites of passage can succeed with the support of traditional leaders, former Soweis, women, and communities.
Health experts and human rights organisations have long warned that FGM has no medical benefit and can result in severe bleeding, infection, chronic pain, complications during childbirth, infertility, psychological trauma, and, in some cases, death.
By removing the blade while preserving the teachings, AIM-SL believes Sierra Leone has an opportunity to protect future generations without abandoning an important cultural institution.
As the 55 women continue their initiation, the programme sends a powerful message across Sierra Leone: culture can evolve, traditions can adapt, and women and girls should never have to suffer violence in the name of culture.
For many communities, the Bloodless Bondo initiative is proving that the future of Bondo does not depend on the knife, but on preserving its values with dignity, safety and respect for the rights of women and girls.
