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Long walk to end rape ends in Sierra Leone

  • Pokawa and Montgomery given a reception by Police

By Alpha Abu

A long walk by two men from Kailahun town to Freetown to draw greater attention to the alarming issue of rape in the country ends today around the historic Cotton Tree in the capital.

Covering a distance of 307 miles, Sierra Leonean Hindolo Pokawa and Dustyn Montgomery his American counterpart started their journey on the 6 January from the eastern district town, passing through Kenema, Bo in the south, Mile 91 and then on to Magburaka and Makeni in the north, before heading for Freetown.

In a symbolic gesture the two men washed the feet of 18 women in each town or village they stopped along the way, which they say was to atone for the sinful act of rape perpetrated by men against women in the country.

Hindolo Pokawa represents the Sierra Leone Foundation for New Democracy and a statement from the organisation says the walk to end rape campaign will help raise awareness on sexual offences and hold men accountable. It is also hoped that the event would “create a mentorship platform for men to understand masculinity without violence”.  

The campaign is expected to generate funds that will go into assisting in acquiring a mobile forensic laboratory to help in the prosecution of cases related to sexual and gender-based violence.

Pokawa told Politico that on their journey they came across a disabled girl in Magburaka who had been raped and also highlighted five recorded cases of rape in Port Loko this month alone. He challenged men in the country to seriously concentrate on ending rape in the country or they will be haunted by their inaction. He drew an allusion of rape to that of “killing the soul of the country”, taking into consideration the fact that women form the greater percentage of Sierra Leone’s population.

He said the solidarity walk was tough but that they had to endure the pain which he believed was of a lesser significance when compared to the trauma that women victim of sexual violence encounter. He said abused women carry the pain and anguish for the rest of their lives.

He thanked groups such as Women’s Forum, Women in the Media Sierra Leone (WIMSAL), Rainbo Initiative and Female Musicians Association for their show of support throughout their journey. Representatives of various local and international organisations and other prominent figures whom he said had reached out to them to congratulate them, would today converge around the Cotton Tree in the afternoon to give Pokawa and his mate a rousing reception. He dismissed any talk of hostile reception from men throughout their trek.

Pokawa said the campaign would now be an annual event even if the route would not be the same. He was full of praise for Montgomery who volunteered to travel with him from Minnesota in the United States, to be part of the walk.

There has been an upsurge in sexual violence against women and girls across the country which prompted President Julius Maada Bio to declare rape as an emergency in 2019. A separate Sexual Offences Court was established last July to speedily try offenders, while the country’s sexual offences law was toughened.

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