Salamatu Tholley Jeneba Susan Mansaray
The practice of forceful recruitment of women to become Sowei (FGM initiator) is still being done in Sierra Leone unabated.
The issue of cultural practices (society) is still been practiced in Sierra Leone despite government’s efforts warning against forceful initiation of people. The situation has seen many women who are not interested in such practices running away due to fear of threat on their lives and family.
Recently, some Sowei women from Kamabai in Bombali, Northern part of Sierra Leone visited the homes of some women at Waterloo in the Western Rural District of Freetown to get them initiated into Sowei against their wish.
Salamatu Tholley and Jeneba Susan Mansaray were amongst the women whose homes were visited to be forcefully initiated as Sowies.
Luckily, they were not around and it is believed that Jeneba is currently living in the United Kingdom while Salamatu Tholley is in neighboring Guinea in order not to fall victims like other women who have been initiated against their wish.
According to credible sources in the community, the Sowei women promised to come back at their residences whenever they get intelligence of their return to Sierra Leone.
