Mentorship

The African boy-child has become largely neglected – while the gains made in the promotion of the girl-child are commendable, they can only be consolidated by giving attention to the boy-child as well. Akiniita Foundation supports ventures that support the boy-child enabling him to celebrate manhood with dignity.

The rite of passage that is practiced among most African communities was crucial in turning boys to men and offering instruction for responsible manhood. While the practice is still on-going, the teaching that accompanied the rite is no longer offered.

Today, the African boy-child is at a risk of contracting HIV/Aids soon after the rite of passage - this is because there is peer pressure to prove one’s manhood by having sex after undergoing circumcision. In an attempt to prove one’s manhood, the young boys just turned into men are at very great risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases not to mention HIV/Aids.

We have discovered that in most African traditional settings, circumcision was [and in some cases is still] done by one specialist using one knife. For the purposes of preservation and sterilization, the knife was stored in the kitchen ceiling – the warmth and the soot from the hearth served as the sterilizer. Today, the initiates are told that they have to “remove the soot” after circumcision – and this can only be done through sexual intercourse. Most of the boys have their first sexual experience at this stage – sadly this happens through prostitutes on special hire for such occasions.

Akiniita Foundation is therefore concerned with sensitization of the reality of the HIV/Aids and advocacy of responsible manhood to the initiates. We therefore support “Rite of Passage” programs by providing guidance and counseling to the initiates immediately before and after circumcision.