Initiation

When we arrived in the village the initiation of the boys had just taken place and the initiation of the girls was in progress. This is the quinceanera or bat mitzvah of the Ndebele tribe when the kids become men and women. But much, much more intense. For the boys initiation school happens every four years. The boys leave the village for the mountains for three months. Yes, three months. They make their own housing, cook their own food, and survive in the bush. They also get circumcised. The rest of the tradition is quite secretive and only meant for those who have been through it. The tradition is much more medically sound today than in years past, but there is still a risk given that the surgery is not done in a sterile environment. Many boys have not survived initiation due to infection or loss of blood. When the boys return to the village there is a parade and celebration. Their skin is covered in ash that looks like white paint to symbolize purity and they're decorated in extravagant beaded head dress and traditional blankets. If a boy were to not make it, the ceremony is the first time the mother would know because her boy would not return from the mountain.

The girls initiation is much safer in comparison. Sulume invited me to join part of the girls initiation and it provided a window into their culture that I valued tremendously. Girls stay in their family home for four weeks or so. There are many ceremonies and lessons on how to be an Ndebele woman during this time, which are also only meant for those who have been through the initiation.l The gogos started in a circle outside the girls' home singing and chanting. 

Initiation Part I

I followed the gogos into the small main room of the girls’ home and sat on a straw mat. The women were chatting in Tswana and all I understood were a series of “Mmmm” agreement sounds. Hot homemade biscuits and tea were served with heaps of sugar and milk. They like it sweet.

Initiation Part II

Suddenly one of the gogos made a call slightly louder than the rest and all the women responded with a chant that sounded like it had come right off the Lion King on Broadway. The songs that followed were rhythmic and beautiful with a lead chant and responsive harmony. A couple of the women began to dance a unique traditional dance pointing a wooden baton, striding side to side and skipping on a certain beat. It was exquisite and mesmerizing.



I felt so lucky to have been included in this sacred ritual and thanked them many times before heading back to the babies in the village center who were waiting on me to return. Ntokozo even came to the house and asked for me to come back. So cute.

Priscilla and Shelly in Initiation Blanket