the Eastern Cape Province of South
Africa is home to the cosa people one of
the nation’s largest tribes the Cosa
live in the modern world but they
maintain ancient customs including one
by which boys become men it’s a rite of
passage that starts with pain every
summer boys are circumcised painted
white and isolated in remote Hut’s where
they spend weeks healing always a
difficult and dangerous experience the
tradition has become even more so here
in the city initiates crowd into all
available space hygiene is poor an
infection is common some cosa boys die
trying to become men
the Mahal a family is sending one of its
own and the journey to Manville Tondo is
enjoying his last day as a boy and what
a part appeal and what do you like is
sometimes not clean so weird too cause I
hear lot of guys go to hospital the
whole poster community will participate
in this rite of passage the men load up
materials to build tanto a hut in the
bush
his family chose an isolated site at the
outskirts of town distracted by the Hut
constructions Hondo doesn’t notice that
the surgeon has arrived
traditional surgeons have no formal
training but some have more skill than
others there will be no ceremony before
the circumcision it comes with the speed
of an ambulance
without warning the surgeon steps
forward to remove tantos foreskin
ignoring the pain Tondo shouts out know
it cosa tradition holds that foreskins
must be buried to keep sorcerers from
using them in witchcraft the surgeon is
also careful to clean the blade to
reduce the risk of transmitting diseases
such as AIDS I’m so dizzy
we’ve got pump when the hut is red he’ll
be left here alone for weeks now the
real danger Honda’s initiation begins in
the coming weeks he faces the risk of
infection even gangrene and until he’s
healed he can eat no fresh food and
drink no water last a Tolosa LeMans the
initiates must not drink water because
the water comes out of the penis and
makes the wound wet so it doesn’t heal
properly done it should infection strike
he’ll have to choose between getting
care and remaining true to his tribe if
he seeks medical attention the Cosa will
never accept him
the white clay paint marks Tondo as an
initiate he’ll wear it throughout his
transition but right now his mind is on
water which he is forbidden to drink
sometimes initiates face dehydration so
severe it can sicken or even kill Tondo
is allowed to sustain himself with only
a liquid rain from core after a week’s
Tondo is well enough to drink water and
he’s allowed to visit with other
initiatives whose huts are nearby their
experiences here in the bush will bind
them together in the Cosa community one
month after Tondo left the men make one
last trip to his Hut gone is the white
clay paint of a boy now tondo undergoes
a centuries-old custom a coating of fat
but instead of the animal fat his
ancestors he’s anointed with margarine
from the supermarket the entire
community gathers to celebrate and
return everyone escorts him home
neighbors join the throng his
achievement is their children by
respecting tradition and prevailing over
hardship Tondo has proven himself a man
red clay marks his new status he is now
eligible for marriage and other rights
of adulthood he has earned his place in
the cosa nation
Africa is home to the cosa people one of
the nation’s largest tribes the Cosa
live in the modern world but they
maintain ancient customs including one
by which boys become men it’s a rite of
passage that starts with pain every
summer boys are circumcised painted
white and isolated in remote Hut’s where
they spend weeks healing always a
difficult and dangerous experience the
tradition has become even more so here
in the city initiates crowd into all
available space hygiene is poor an
infection is common some cosa boys die
trying to become men
the Mahal a family is sending one of its
own and the journey to Manville Tondo is
enjoying his last day as a boy and what
a part appeal and what do you like is
sometimes not clean so weird too cause I
hear lot of guys go to hospital the
whole poster community will participate
in this rite of passage the men load up
materials to build tanto a hut in the
bush
his family chose an isolated site at the
outskirts of town distracted by the Hut
constructions Hondo doesn’t notice that
the surgeon has arrived
traditional surgeons have no formal
training but some have more skill than
others there will be no ceremony before
the circumcision it comes with the speed
of an ambulance
without warning the surgeon steps
forward to remove tantos foreskin
ignoring the pain Tondo shouts out know
it cosa tradition holds that foreskins
must be buried to keep sorcerers from
using them in witchcraft the surgeon is
also careful to clean the blade to
reduce the risk of transmitting diseases
such as AIDS I’m so dizzy
we’ve got pump when the hut is red he’ll
be left here alone for weeks now the
real danger Honda’s initiation begins in
the coming weeks he faces the risk of
infection even gangrene and until he’s
healed he can eat no fresh food and
drink no water last a Tolosa LeMans the
initiates must not drink water because
the water comes out of the penis and
makes the wound wet so it doesn’t heal
properly done it should infection strike
he’ll have to choose between getting
care and remaining true to his tribe if
he seeks medical attention the Cosa will
never accept him
the white clay paint marks Tondo as an
initiate he’ll wear it throughout his
transition but right now his mind is on
water which he is forbidden to drink
sometimes initiates face dehydration so
severe it can sicken or even kill Tondo
is allowed to sustain himself with only
a liquid rain from core after a week’s
Tondo is well enough to drink water and
he’s allowed to visit with other
initiatives whose huts are nearby their
experiences here in the bush will bind
them together in the Cosa community one
month after Tondo left the men make one
last trip to his Hut gone is the white
clay paint of a boy now tondo undergoes
a centuries-old custom a coating of fat
but instead of the animal fat his
ancestors he’s anointed with margarine
from the supermarket the entire
community gathers to celebrate and
return everyone escorts him home
neighbors join the throng his
achievement is their children by
respecting tradition and prevailing over
hardship Tondo has proven himself a man
red clay marks his new status he is now
eligible for marriage and other rights
of adulthood he has earned his place in
the cosa nation
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