Secret societies

A secret society is what every village girl and boy enters when they reach puberty. These secret societies are designed to help train the child for adulthood. Unfortunately, there is an element of evil and witchcraft that is associated with these societies. For the females, part of their initiation involves female genital mutilation, and evil practice that takes away something precious from the girls. While we were in Banta over the Christmas holidays, all of the children who had been initiated were returning back to their villages. It was heart breaking to watch their girls because they didn't know what really had happened to them. They are told lies that this is good for them and that no one will marry them if they don't go through this. Not only is this emotionally damaging, but it is also medically dangerous. They use unsterile things such as glass or rocks to cut the girl, which causes infections and increases the spread of HIV/AIDS. There are also problems during child birth. It is hard to watch this happen, yet now know how to help and to realize that change will take time, it won't happen overnight. Pray that people's eyes would be opened to the evil that they are allowing to happen and that over time this practice will be eradicated in this country.