The initiation rite takes place for age groups (irua), each with a specific name.
In the months leading up to the ceremony, the initiates receive teachings from an elder about community values, duties and responsibilities. On the eve of the ceremony, mambura, a dance (gituuro) is performed to strengthen the solidarity of the group.
Circumcision marks the transition to adulthood in a public display of courage: expressing fear is considered shameful for the family.
Initiation gives the young man the status of a warrior and it is his father’s duty to provide him with weapons to gain respect and defend himself from animals. The prestige of a family depends on the skill of its sons in warfare: they are the defenders of the family group and the interests of the community.
Girls also undergo an initiation ceremony, led by an elderly woman. Tradition required a period of isolation to learn the role of motherhood and community responsibility. It is believed that a form of excision was practised in the past, but this has now been replaced by symbolic ceremonies.
