N’NINKIE

N’NINKIE Amplifying the voices of African Changemakers

LUKNEH — THE DAY OF MOVINGThe Bloodless Rite is an alternative rite of passage that unfolds through a series of distinct...
22/08/2026

LUKNEH — THE DAY OF MOVING

The Bloodless Rite is an alternative rite of passage that unfolds through a series of distinct ceremonies, each carrying its own meaning.

One of these is Lukneh.

Rugiatu Neneh Turay, founder and director of the Amazonian Initiative Movement (AIM) in Sierra Leone, explained that the distinctive ways in which the girls and others involved dress for this occasion, including the different objects and adornments they carry on their heads, are an integral part of the ceremony.

“It is called Lukneh in Themne, which means moving. The girls and everyone involved are moving to a new location from the previous one.”

The movement from one place to another is therefore more than a change of location. It is part of the structure of the rite itself, marking a transition from one stage to the next.

What may appear to be a simple act of dressing and adornment is rooted in meaning, symbolism and community practice.

This is why meaningful change cannot simply be introduced from the outside. Sustainable change needs to emerge from within communities — grounded in a holistic and culturally sensitive understanding of their social systems, traditions and lived realities.

The Bloodless Rite is not simply about replacing one ceremony with another. It creates a culturally grounded pathway that upholds the bonds, identity and social meaning of Bondo while eliminating the harmful practice of FGM - allowing girls to move forward while communities retain the elements of belonging, tradition and celebration that matter to them.

A big THANK YOU Bundesentwicklungsministerium for supporting Community-Driven Change!

CommunityLedChange

LUKNEH — THE DAY OF MOVINGThe Bloodless Rite is an alternative rite of passage that unfolds through a series of distinct...
22/08/2026

LUKNEH — THE DAY OF MOVING

The Bloodless Rite is an alternative rite of passage that unfolds through a series of distinct ceremonies, each carrying its own meaning.

One of these is Lukneh.

Rugiatu Neneh Turay, founder and director of the Amazonian Initiative Movement (AIM) in Sierra Leone, explained that the distinctive ways in which the girls and others involved dress for this occasion, including the different objects and adornments they carry on their heads, are an integral part of the ceremony.

“It is called Lukneh in Themne, which means moving. The girls and everyone involved are moving to a new location from the previous one.”

The movement from one place to another is therefore more than a change of location. It is part of the structure of the rite itself, marking a transition from one stage to the next.

What may appear to be a simple act of dressing and adornment is rooted in meaning, symbolism and community practice.

This is why meaningful change cannot simply be introduced from the outside. Sustainable change needs to emerge from within communities — grounded in a holistic and culturally sensitive understanding of their social systems, traditions and lived realities.

The Bloodless Rite is not simply about replacing one ceremony with another. It creates a culturally grounded pathway that upholds the bonds, identity and social meaning of Bondo while eliminating the harmful practice of FGM - allowing girls to move forward while communities retain the elements of belonging, tradition and celebration that matter to them.

A big THANK YOU Bundesentwicklungsministerium for supporting Community-Driven Change!

CommunityLedChange

LUKNEH — THE DAY OF MOVINGThe Bloodless Rite is an alternative rite of passage that unfolds through a series of distinct...
22/08/2026

LUKNEH — THE DAY OF MOVING

The Bloodless Rite is an alternative rite of passage that unfolds through a series of distinct ceremonies, each carrying its own meaning.

One of these is Lukneh.

Rugiatu Neneh Turay, founder and director of the Amazonian Initiative Movement (AIM) in Sierra Leone, explained that the distinctive ways in which the girls and others involved dress for this occasion, including the different objects and adornments they carry on their heads, are an integral part of the ceremony.

“It is called Lukneh in Themne, which means moving. The girls and everyone involved are moving to a new location from the previous one.”

The movement from one place to another is therefore more than a change of location. It is part of the structure of the rite itself, marking a transition from one stage to the next.

What may appear to be a simple act of dressing and adornment is rooted in meaning, symbolism and community practice.

This is why meaningful change cannot simply be introduced from the outside. Sustainable change needs to emerge from within communities — grounded in a holistic and culturally sensitive understanding of their social systems, traditions and lived realities.

The Bloodless Rite is not simply about replacing one ceremony with another. It creates a culturally grounded pathway that upholds the bonds, identity and social meaning of Bondo while eliminating the harmful practice of FGM - allowing girls to move forward while communities retain the elements of belonging, tradition and celebration that matter to them.

A big THANK YOU Bundesentwicklungsministerium for promoting Community-Driven Change!

CommunityLedChange

A new Bloodless Bondo has begun in Mabalay Village, Sierra Leone.Girls are taking part in an Alternative Rite of Passage...
07/08/2026

A new Bloodless Bondo has begun in Mabalay Village, Sierra Leone.

Girls are taking part in an Alternative Rite of Passage that celebrates culture, identity, and womanhood—without Female Ge***al Mutilation (FGM).

Developed by our local partner AIM, the Neneh Strategy demonstrates that communities can preserve the positive values of the Bondo tradition while protecting the health, dignity, and rights of girls.

This is locally led change in action.

A very big Thank You Bundesentwicklungsministerium for supporting this Community-Driven Change🙌🏻

A sincere thank you to ERA Canada for donating laptops and mobile phones to n’ninkie.These devices will help our team st...
31/07/2026

A sincere thank you to ERA Canada for donating laptops and mobile phones to n’ninkie.

These devices will help our team strengthen research, communication, and knowledge exchange, supporting more people in sharing their perspectives, developing their skills, and advancing their own ideas.

At n’ninkie, technology is not the change itself. It is a tool that helps local knowledge travel further, connects more people, and gives community-led work greater reach.

’ninkie

We are excited to have four students, Anouk, Christin, Velvet & Carlotta, joining the n’ninkie team in Sierra Leone for ...
09/07/2026

We are excited to have four students, Anouk, Christin, Velvet & Carlotta, joining the n’ninkie team in Sierra Leone for a learning exchange!

Over the coming days, we’ll share conversations, experiences, and perspectives as they will explore the n‘ninkie approach to community-led solutions. At the heart of this exchange is mutual learning. They each bring different experiences, ideas, and questions, and we look forward to the insights and connections that emerge from learning alongside one another 🙌🏻

As part of this exchange, the students have also chosen to support our fundraising campaign, helping raise awareness and connect more people to community-led initiatives focused on vocational skills, entrepreneurship, and collective savings. https://www.betterplace.org/de/fundraising-events/57084-velvet-neuhaus-spendenaktion?utm_campaign=&utm_medium=&utm_source=Link

At n‘ninkie, we believe structural change is needed, and this begins with listening and learning from one another. This exchange is an opportunity to put those values into practice.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Talent for Good Forum 2026.Our breakout session, Who Defines Development? Ref...
19/06/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Talent for Good Forum 2026.

Our breakout session, Who Defines Development? Reframing Power, was fully booked, and we were encouraged by the engagement and open dialogue throughout the discussion.

It was particularly valuable to exchange perspectives with students, lecturers, and practitioners from diverse backgrounds. The strong interest and positive feedback, including invitations to continue the dialogue at other universities, highlighted the continued need for conversations on development and power.

At N’NINKIE, we remain committed to creating space for critical, grounded, and inclusive conversations about development, power, and whose voices shape the future.

The Hague Humanity Hub The Hague University of Applied Sciences

Before we talk about progress, we need to ask who gets to define it.At this year’s Talent for Good Forum, N’NINKIE will ...
28/05/2026

Before we talk about progress, we need to ask who gets to define it.

At this year’s Talent for Good Forum, N’NINKIE will lead the breakout session Who Defines Development? Reframing Power, looking at whose knowledge shapes development and social work, and why locally rooted perspectives are still too often pushed aside.

Join us on 4 June at The Hague University of Applied Sciences, and find us at the N’NINKIE stand throughout the day.

register for breakout session via link in bio.



What if the most important question in development is not how we develop, but who gets to define what development means ...
22/05/2026

What if the most important question in development is not how we develop, but who gets to define what development means in the first place?

Development is often framed through economics, infrastructure, technology, or governance. Yet sustainable development is ultimately about people: communities, participation, systems of care, and human dignity.

Our breakout session at the Talent for Good Forum explores the role of social work within sustainable development and invites us to rethink not only development itself, but also the power structures behind it.

Because what is considered “successful” development is never neutral. It is shaped by institutions, perspectives, and forms of knowledge — while locally grounded realities too often remain overlooked.

At N’NINKIE, we believe communities already hold knowledge. But whose knowledge is recognized as valid?

Join us at the Talent for Good Forum 2026 for our breakout session “Who Defines Development? Reframing Power” and visit us at the N’NINKIE stand throughout the day.
We look forward to exchanging ideas and conversations with you.

👉🏻 register via link in bio!

nninkie

We’re excited to share that N’NINKIE will be part of the Talent for Good Forum 2026.Since 2022, the Talent for Good Fair...
08/05/2026

We’re excited to share that N’NINKIE will be part of the Talent for Good Forum 2026.

Since 2022, the Talent for Good Fair has been the Netherlands’ premier destination for mission driven careers.

The forum brings together organisations, ideas, and people working across peace, justice, development, and social impact. It is a space for exchange, learning, and meaningful connection.

As part of the afternoon program, N’NINKIE will lead a breakout session titled Who Defines Development? Reframing Power. The session invites participants to reflect on how development and social work systems often privilege Western frameworks while sidelining locally rooted knowledge and leadership, and to consider how education and institutions can better prepare students for realities beyond Western contexts.

Join us on 4 June 2026 at The Hague University of Applied Sciences for a day of conversations, workshops, panels, and opportunities to engage with work that aims to create lasting change.

Register via link in bio.



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Johanna Westerdijkplein 75
The Hague
2521 EN

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