Igihe cyose yibutse ahahise he, cyane cyane akiri umwana, ararira, kubera icyo yita gutakaza ubuto bwe, mu gutangira ubuzima bukomeye, mu gihe yari yiteze ibitandukanye n’ibyo. Nancy Milanoi, 42, ni umugore wo mu bwoko bw’aba Masaai bo gihugu cya Kenya.
Milanoi avuga ko byose byavuye ku mico n’imigenzo by’aba Masaai, bitesha agaciro abana b’abakobwa, uhereye mu gukatwa imyanya y’ibanga (Mutilation genitale feminine) no gushyingizwa ku ngufu, n’ubwo iyo mico yamaganwe binyuze mu mategeko mpuzamahanga n’inyigisho zihabwa abaturage.
Mikanoi yatangiye kugira ingorane zo mu bwana afite imyaka icyenda, aho, hakurikijwe imico n’imigenzo y’aba Masaai, bamukuye amenyo abiri yo munsi.
Uwo mugore aribuka uburyo yafashwe ku ngufu, bacisha icyuma munsi y’amenyo ye, aho avuga ko yumvise ububabare atazapfa yibagiwe, n’ubwo hashize igihe kirekire ibyo bibaye.
Agira ati: “Nta muntu n’umwe wari warigeze ambwira ibyerekeye umuco wo gukurwa amenyo mu muryango wacu, ariko nahoraga mbona abantu bakuze n’abana batagira amenyo yo munsi, nkibaza ko ari ko baremwe.
“Umunsi bakura amenyo yanjye, narababaye cyane. Kandi nk’uko umuco wari umeze, nta muti wo kugabanya ububabare nahawe.”
Milanoi avuga ko iyo yari intambwe ya mbere yo gushyirwaho ikimenyetso cy’imigenzo yabo.
Nk’uko Milanoi abivuga, “Abakobwa b’aba Masaai, cyane cyane ababa mu gihugu hagati, bakora imirimo yo mu rugo, rimwe na rimwe bakajya no kuragira ihene n’intama”.
Mu gihe cy’ibiruhuko avuye kw’ishuri, yatekerezaga ko ababyeyi be bashobora kumureka akajya hamwe n’abandi bakobwa bo mu gace yabagamo kugira ngo baganire ku buzima bwabo bwo mu bwana.
Si ko byagenze kuri Milanoi. Ababyeyi be bo bateguye kumushyingira ku musaza w’imyaka 70. Ibyo rero ntibyari gukunda kuko mu mico n’imigenzo y’aba Masaai yagombaga kubanza gukatwa imyanya y’ibanga.
Kugira ibyo byubahirizwe, ababyeyi be, bari bakiriho baraganiriye ku gitekerezo cyo kumushyingira, bahitamo umunsi wo kumukata iimyanya y’ibanga. Nyina ni we wabimusobanuriye.
Milanoi agira ati: “Kuri uwo mugoroba, ngeze mu rugo, nasanze hari amasura mashya. Sinari nzi ikintegereje muri iryo joro.”
Iryo joro rero bamukase imyanya y’ibanga nubwo we atabyifuzaga.
Mu Bamasaai, umukobwa umaze gukatwa imyanya y’ibanga, ategekwa kujya ku mugabo wamaze kumukwa, kandi ategekwa kwirinda kujya hamwe n’abandi bana kw’ishuri.
Mu kiruhuko cyo mu kwezi kwa kane mu 1993, uwari wakunze Milanoi yaje iwabo ahitwa Olorien gufata umugore we akiri muto.
Milanoi agira ati: “Nari mu nzu, data avuga ko negeranya ibintu byanjye byose kubera ko umugabo wanjye aje kuntwara.”
Akomeza avuga ko, se amaze kuvuga ibyo, umubiri we wagize ikinya nk’iminota 30. Avuga ko yahise yumva umutwe urimo kuzunguruka kuko wanze kwakira uburemere bw’iyo nkuru.
Icyo gihe yari afite imyaka 13, ntiyatahuye icyo ababyeyi be barimo gukora. Yashakaga gukomeza amashuri ye, ntiyashakaga kuba umugore w’umuntu.
Aribuka se n’abandi bantu bo mu gace kabo bamushyira mu modoka bakamufungirana, kubera ko uwari agiye kuba umugabo we yari afitanye inama ngufi n’umuryango we.
Milanoi agira ati: “Ndi mu modoka nakomeje kureba ibyo barimo gukora, ari na ko numva ingufu ziri kunshirana.”
Milanoi ntiyari yiteguye kujya kurongorwa ku ngufu. Incuro eshatu zose, uyu mugore yagerageje gutoroka.
Ku munsi wa mbere, yararanye n’umugore wa mbere w’umugabo we. Mu gitondo gikurikiye, yagerageje guturoka aciye mw’ishamba,nyuma yo kugenda amasaha atari make, yageze kwa nyirarume, ariko na ho nta mutekano yahabonye.
Milanoi agira ati:”nyuma y’iminsi itatu ndi kwa marume, aho nibwiraga ko nabonye ubuhungiro, nabonye imodoka iza. Wa musaza yarasohotse hanyuma marume ahita amumpa”.
Nyuma y’aho uyu mugore,yashoboye gutoroka,mbere y’uko ahuza ibitsina n’uwo musaza.
Yahise atangira gukora akazi ko mu rugo kuko umuryango we wamuciye kubera ko yanze kurongorwa.
Ariko ibyo yari yaciyemo byamuhaye ingufu nshya n’intumbero nshya y’ubuzima, aho yiyumva ko azaba umuntu uvugira abana b’abakobwa babangamirwa n’imico n’imigenzo bakiri bato.
Nancy Milanoi amaze imyaka 15 aharanira uburenganzira bw’abakobwa b’aba Masaai bakatwa imyanya myibarukiro, no kujyanwa ku bagabo bakiri bato.
Uyu mugore avuga ko muri iyi myaka ya vuba, ibintu byahindutse. Abantu batangiye kureka imico n’imigenzo bibangamira abana b’abakobwa.
