The Weight of a Rite, the Burden of Tradition
The Weight of a Rite, the Burden of Tradition - In a remote Maasai village, a teenage girl stands outside her mud hut, the weight of an uncertain future etched into her expression. ‘Non-Maasai people come to my village and tell us the rite of passage is wrong,’ she says, her voice calm but edged with fear. ‘But this is our tradition, something we have practiced for hundreds of years.’ She pauses, recalling the stern warnings of the visitors who travel to her village, urging families to abandon the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM). They explain that it is illegal and that her parents could face prosecution if they continue. But for her, the consequences of compliance seem far graver. ‘If my parents are taken away, what will I do?’ she asks. ‘I will starve. Maasai have no place to go.’ Her words underscore a painful reality—a deep divide between cultural heritage and the growing call for change. For her and many girls like her, the rite of passage represents more than a tradition. It is a lifeline to acceptance and survival within their community. Without it, they face the threat of ostracism and a precarious, uncertain future.
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- Photographed in Kenya
