In Sierra Leone’s Bombali District, the Bangura family lives in hiding, driven from their home by violence and fear. Ibrahim Bangura, a devoted father of two young girls, chose to defy an age-old tradition by refusing to subject his daughters, just four and eight, to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). In doing so, he risked his family’s safety, their home, and even their lives, as they now live as fugitives within their own country.
For generations, the Bangura family has upheld and protected this tradition as respected members of the Bondo society—a secretive female initiation group that enforces FGM as a sacred rite of passage. Ibrahim’s own grandmother held a senior role in the Bondo society, while his late grandfather served as a section chief. The family’s esteemed chieftaincy lineage had once elevated them to be custodians of cultural heritage. But after witnessing the devastating consequences of FGM on his own wife, Ibrahim took a stand, desperate to shield his daughters from a life defined by trauma and suffering.
The pain hits close to home. Years earlier, when Ibrahim’s wife was just seven, her stepmother took her to the village for circumcision—without her parents’ knowledge. The experience was excruciating, leaving her with severe physical scars and lasting trauma that followed her into adulthood. Later, during childbirth, the complications from FGM-related scarring and nerve damage nearly claimed her life. Sadly, her story is all too common in the region—many girls forced into FGM endure a lifetime of health issues, emotional trauma, and, tragically, some lose their lives. Determined to shield his daughters from this fate, Ibrahim vowed to break the cycle of suffering.
In December 2023, during a visit to their hometown for the Christmas holidays, Ibrahim’s family learned the shocking cost of their defiance. Initially, the matter stayed within the family, but their decision not to enroll the girls for FGM quickly escalated into a community outrage. Members of the Bondo society and relatives gathered to demand the family’s compliance, framing it as a matter of tradition and honor. But the family refused, standing by their conviction to protect their daughters.
Tragically, the situation turned violent. Ibrahim’s extended family, neighbors, and Bondo society supporters stormed their home. Ibrahim was beaten mercilessly, and his wife sustained injuries trying to escape with their children. As the assault escalated, Ibrahim heard someone yell, “Burn him down in the house!” He barely escaped, dazed and bleeding, and only later found refuge in a friend’s home. This friend, also a quiet opponent of FGM, took Ibrahim to the Makeni Regional Police Station. Thankful to being alive, Ibrahim vowed to protect his family, despite the severe risks.
In the days that followed, Mr. Bangura’s nightmare deepened. That very night, after he was attacked, their family home was set ablaze in retaliation, destroying any sense of security they once held. Fleeing to Freetown, they hoped for anonymity, but even there, death threats continued to haunt them. These incidents sets a violent reminder that safety was out of reach as long as they resisted the tradition.
Now in constant fear, the Bangura’s move from place to place, hoping not to be discovered. They have left behind everything they once knew, clinging to each other for strength. Law enforcement, bound by the cultural complexities surrounding FGM, offers little help; officials are reluctant to challenge an ingrained tradition upheld by influential families. The Bangura’s historic ties to the Bondo society—once a source of honor and respect—have now become the very chains endangering their lives.
FGM is often presented as a rite of passage, a way to prepare young girls for womanhood by curbing their sexuality. Yet the cost of this tradition is incalculable—physical and emotional scars, fractured families, and lost lives. The Bangura’s story, while horrific, is far from unique. In communities across Sierra Leone, many families grapple with the same fear, knowing that resistance to FGM could mean violence, ostracism, or worse.
All the Bangura family wants is a life where their daughters can grow up unburdened by the trauma and damage inflicted by FGM. They hope for a future where their choice to protect their children from harm does not come at the price of their own lives. As long as FGM is enforced through fear and violence, families like the Bangura’s will be forced to make impossible choices—to betray their traditions or to sacrifice their loved ones.
Today, Ibrahim, his wife, and their two daughters live in the shadows, hoping that one day they can return to a world that celebrates their bravery rather than punishes it. Their story is a powerful reminder that no family should have to pay such a high price simply for wanting a safe and healthy future for their children.