Chinazor OnianwahI am one who applaud the enduring beauty and colorful rites of passage for girls in Africa. In the midst of societal presures on girls to grow up faster; bombardment of sexual inuendos projecting them as sexual objects, it is good to know that a celebration of innocence still endures. In the United States, girls go from puberty to single motherhood within a space of one year and boys follow right after. They become fatherless fathers on a trajectory they were never equiped for. What is needed is a rite of passage for boys and girls that would show them the true mark of manhood – not gang banging and counting how many girls you turned to baby-mamas. For those who deride the topless Reed Dance, there are several options. As the father of a 9 year old daughter, I am working with some DC public school officials to introduce Ifuanya rites of passage for girls. It is also known as the Fattening Room, which secludes maidens from the society for a period of one year. During this time time they are given life lessons that would prepare them for adulthood, courtship, marriage, hygiene, wealth/sufficiency, abussive relationship and community service. At the end of their seclusion, they come out in celebration inviting friends, family and community to come and see them. Hence, Ifuanya – “You can see me now.”
