Virginity celebration for 166 girls

A GROUP of 166 young women from Mulima-Pfananani village outside Elim say sex before marriage is a sin, and they mean it.

Proudly displaying their virginity certificates, these young women celebrated their virginity during a glittering ceremony held at the Revelation Christian Church in the village on Saturday.

Every year, they go to a doctor to undergo a virginity test voluntarily.

Pastor Selaya Famadi from the Revelation Christian Church said no one was forced to to participate in the virginity test programme, although he did support the project. The young women had started the project themselves, he added.

“The programme was initiated to save and protect young women from contracting HIV/aids, and other sexually-related diseases. They were successful from the start of the project in 2006.

He said when the project started, there were just 16 young women, which grew over the years to the 166 young women now.

“The programme has attracted teenagers from various villages in the Makhado and Mopani areas. Their parents also give us their full support.

“We don’t offend those who have already lost their virginity, because God loves them,” Famadi explained.

The church pays the virgins’ medical expenses. “We don’t force it upon anyone. After passing the virginity test, they each receive a certificate and a beautiful dress.

Dr Tshilidzi Rambau from Khanimambo Medical Centre, who tested the young women, said he was glad to learn that they were all virgins.

According to Dr Selina Maluleke, the young women should ensure they were educated as far as possible, in order to add value to the economy of the country.

Maluleke advised the young women to be wise in their choice of friends so that they did not fall into any of “the devil’s traps”.

She said the marriages of people who had been involved in sexual activities prior to their marriages, did not last. She encouraged the young women to believe that God would provide them with “real husbands”.

Most of the women participating in this project agreed they did not allow peer pressure to interfere with their lives. “I will never let my friends, be they male or female, to pressure me or to affect the way I live my life,” one of the women, Cecilia Raswiswi (32) said.

Famadi said they were planning to approach businesspeople to encourage virginity by means of offering study bursaries.

Besides this programme, the church also cares for orphans and provides them with food parcels.