Inside Africa's most dangerous initiation rituals

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Published Mar 25, 2026

Across Africa, the path to adulthood can come at a dangerous cost. From deadly initiation rituals in South Africa to girls in Kenya rejecting female genital mutilation (FGM), young people are beginning to question traditions that have shaped generations.

In Kampala, youths from across the continent gather to confront a powerful question: What must you endure to truly belong?

We meet boys facing brutal initiation rites, Maasai girls choosing alternative paths to womanhood, and Miss World Somalia 2025, Zainab Jama, who survived FGM and is now transforming her pain into purpose as she fights to end the practice.

02.21 Street Debate: Initiation experiences in Uganda
06.41 'I don't believe our ancestors were so special'
08.09 Initiation ceremonies in South Africa: Culture or trauma?
11.31 '250 penises are lost annually in South Africa'
12.55 GBV and Kenya's Masaai community: When culture clashes with human rights
16.30 'In African culture, your mother does not care what you think'
18.05 Fatou meets FGM survivor and activist Zainab Jama - AKA Miss World Somalia
20.58 Seeking alternative rites of passage in Kenya
23.40 Does love = discipline?

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