Bondo is a secret society for women and girls, established to help them earn their rite of passage into adulthood.
Among the ceremonies performed within the society is FGM, which involves the removal of the genitalia of women and girls.
FGM harms the health and well-being of women and girls. Socio-cultural rights are permitted universally, not at the expense of people's lives, health, and well-being.
Dear Communities/Partners/Governments, Donors:
Enlightenment is the most powerful tool we can use to change our communities, societies, and the world at large—especially for women and girls who have been marginalized by harmful traditional practices like Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Our mission is to eradicate FGM by 2030 through women and girls' empowerment. AIM is taking bold steps in replacing Bondo Bushes (FGM shrines) with:
For generations, Bondo bushes have symbolized pain, exclusion, and loss of opportunities and lives for countless women and girls. By replacing these shrines with empowerment centers, AIM is:
✅ Supporting Bondo, which earns women and girls the RITE OF PASSAGE INTO WOMANHOOD WITHOUT CUTTING.-(i.e., the Neneh's Model).
✅ Breaking the cycle of FGM by removing the physical spaces where the practice was enforced.
✅ Prioritizing girls’ empowerment, giving them safe, inclusive environments to learn and thrive.
✅ Changing mindsets by integrating FGM awareness by creating clubs of influence, ensuring future generations understand its dangers.
✅ Creating a safer environment for FGM-affected girls.
Through collaboration with local schools, authorities, and community leaders, AIM has:
🔹 Built new schools where Bondo bushes once stood, transforming symbols of harm/pain into beacons of hope.
🔹 Empowered girls to pursue their dreams without fear of cutting, early marriage, or forced initiation.
This is just the beginning. To sustain this progress, we need your support to:
🔸 Advocate for policies that DISBAND FGM practices throughout Sierra Leone.
🔸 Advocate for policies that protect girls and promote women's and girls' empowerment.
🔸 Sensitize communities on the dangers of FGM and the value of empowerment.
🔸 Donate to help us build more schools, empowerment centers, a safe home for FGM-affected women and girls, and provide scholarships for FGM-affected girls.
Together, we can turn pain into empowerment—one school, one girl, one community at a time.
Join us today.