*By William Wise
In the field of journalism sometimes one thing leads to another thing or issue and that was exactly what transpired when this news medium went to cover a youth conference in Kenema District, Eastern Province of Sierra Leone.
Nancy Moseray, Mbalu’s mother, reported to this medium that her daughter and her granddaughter who are next in line to replace her in the secret society tradition had gone missing for several days.
The unsettling disappearance, it appears, is linked to Mbalu’s refusal to be initiated into the Bondo Society, a practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) considered a tradition in the chiefdom.
Nancy Moseray explained that Mbalu’s deviation from this tradition is seen as disobedience to the gods of the land and is viewed as sacrilege. However, Mbalu Moseray is firm in her stance against joining the society, citing moral and ethical concerns for her health and religion.
According to her mother, her refusal to go through FGM would involved the forcibly initiate her into the secret society.
Her mother told this news outlet that the Secret Society hierarchy indicate that the penalty for betrayal, defined as refusing to comply with community traditions, is death through unconventional means that evade police investigation.
Mbalu’s mother is actively searching for her daughter to ensure her initiation into the Bondo Society.
Presently, Mbalu Moseray and Haja Tida Kallay are declared wanted by both her mother and the societies involved, alleging treachery for not adhering to tradition. The mother has offered a reward of Ten thousand Leones (10,0000) for information leading to their location as a number has been given (+23278883582)