HELP’s Educational Efforts to Inform Malawian Citizens About Ceremony’s Health Risks
On today’s drive home from Lilongwe, about five miles down the dirt road that connects us to the outside world, I saw what can only be described as a mob of people blocking the road. A closer examination revealed an entire village slowly moving down the road, all ages and conditions, singing and dancing. I pulled the car to the side of the path, stopped the engine, and waited. Soon the land cruiser was surrounded by hundreds of people. It was rocked and pushed from side to side and so many hands and arms reached in through all of the open windows. It was a bit bizarre, but everyone was happy and friendly. The party was a celebration for a Yao child’s passage into adulthood.
These initiation ceremonies are controversial, but they are very common in nearby villages. In the southern region of Malawi, 73% of Yao boys and 75% of Yao girls report participating in traditional initiation ceremonies. It’s a sensitive subject, but HELP (hope, education, love and protection) Malawi and their health outreach staff have been working with community members to teach and promote community awareness about possible health risks associated with these african ceremonies.
