A couple of days ago, a young man (said he was 17 years old) sent
me an email asking me to help him with a "penis size problem". He was
excited (his words) when he read that I was born and raised among the
Karamojong.
He said the size of his penis has affected his whole
life to the point that he was depressed and even contemplating suicide.
He sought help on the internet and found some sites dedicated to penis
enlargement and even sell some equipment that adds inches to one's
penis. He didn't have the money to buy one of those equipments but
decided to try one of the techniques promoted in many penis enlargement
websites.
For months now, he has been tying weights to the tip of
his penis. First he started with light weights and now was at about 20
pounds. Much of his spare time has been consumed by this "exercise" but
he was getting more frustrated because there was no visible increase to
the size of his penis. Could I explain, he wrote, exactly how the
Karamojong do the "penis stretching thing"?
I was ticked off. The
last thing I need is some "horny teenager" disrespecting and insulting
me and the work I do. I started to write him an email but then midway I
stopped. What if he is just a confused young man feeling so insecure
about his penis size and was reaching out to me for help? What if I was
the last person he'd ever communicate with, after all he did say he was
depressed and suicidal.
I deleted that email and instead wrote
asking him to send me texts of what he was referring to, particularly
where it mentions "Karamojong penis size". My assumption was that these
must be porn sites -- and I don't go there. Never have, never will.
These are some of the texts he sent me:
"The
African Karamojong tribe from North Eastern Uganda have been known to
employ similar penis stretching techniques. From early youth they hang
ever increasing numbers of circular stone disks from the end of their
penises, and over the course of a number of years they can achieve penis
lengths comparable to the Indian Sadhus. In order to better manage
their rather monumental and impractical appendages, the Karamojong then
tie their penises in knots."
"Beginning at puberty, men of the
Karamojong tribe of northeastern Uganda begin the long, arduous process
of ritualistic penis stretching. A boy will hang a circular stone disk
from the tip of his penis, adding more disks as he becomes accustomed to
the weight (and the pain!). By the time the boy has reached his teenage
years, he may carry up to 20 pounds on his penis, which by this time
can measure 18 inches or more in length. To avoid sitting on the
elongated appendage, the men will often tie their penises into knots and
tuck them away.
Under normal circumstances this would have
cracked me up prime time. There is a lot of crap out there in the name
of "African ancient rituals" and since there is no one to burst these
myths, many unsuspecting people take them as fact. More over 90% of
Africans are too poor to afford a computer/internet and many of those
who have computers/internet access mostly find these kind of "African
myths" amusing, even entertaining. I get these "humour" email forwards
all the time.
Do Karamojong men have the longest penis? I don't
know. But what I do know (and have seen with my eyes) is that Karamojong
men generally have penises that go almost mid-thigh and when they sit
on the hand-stool they carry around with them, their penises touch the
ground/earth (often drawing lines on the soil in response to movements
in communication body language). Keep in mind that the average height of
Karamojong men is about 5'11 -6'1, depending on which part of Karamoja
region a man comes from.
Karamojong men don't wear any clothes
except for a large piece of cloth (ananga) that they wrap around the
shoulders. Those who can afford it wear sleeveless tank-top like
T-shirts. Karamojong men/boys also braid their hair or wear head-dresses
(men and initiated warriors only). They pierce their ears, wear jewelry
(specifically copper and iron), and have scar tattoos (that show the
number of lions one has killed with a spear or how many enemies they've
killed in battle/cattle raids). They also carry a small hand-stool, and a
walking stick, spear or AK 47 assault rifle, and a toothstick that they
use to brush their teeth and they do this all the time (the way some
people chew gum non-stop). That's it. No pants. No boxers or underwear.
Nothing waist downwards -- except for cow-skin strap sandals. This is
how it's been for thousands of years and this is how it still is for
about 80% of Karamojong men. NAKED BUT NOT ASHAMED.
This is what I
grew up looking at -- everything out there in-your-face full view.
Nothing tied in knots and tucked away. This was what was normal to me
and I didn't see it as "sexual" at all. It was just another part of the
human body. Ironically, I instinctively find myself looking away or
closing my eyes every time it appears like someone is about to take off
his or her clothes in public. I find it grossly indecent for anyone to
be nude in public. But when I return to Karamoja, for some reason (I
can't completely understand it myself), I don't find a naked body in
public indecent. Unless someone else points it out to me, I don't even
seem to notice it. "Naked but not ashamed" is another topic for another
article.
I've taken a good number of British, Canadian, Belgian
and French men and women to Karamoja (mostly international development
work related) and almost everyone of them has made reference to the
Karamojong's penis size. Even Ugandans of other "tribes" talk about the
size of the Karamojong penis, so I guess there must be something unique
about them.
I am however, very sure Karamojong men are not even
aware that they have "weapons of mass destruction". I'd probably have a
mouth-cleansing ritual performed on me if I even said anything about
"penis size". They just don't care about those kinds of things. Like
their brothers, the Masai of Kenya/Tanzania, Turkana of Kenya, Suruma of
Ethiopia etc., Karamojong men are proud warriors who strictly live by
social and moral codes determined by the tribe/clan -- these social and
moral codes don't include obsessing about penis size.
I grew up
with these boys and some of them are my closest friends, I never saw
anyone hang anything on his penis. Never! IT'S NOT TRUE that Karamojong
boys hang circular stone disks on the tips of their penises. ABSOLUTELY
NOT TRUE.
If the Karamojong penis size is long enough to capture
the attention of those selling penis enlargement equipment and
techniques, it has to do with their genes and not hanging circular stone
disks on the tips of their penises. If you don't believe me, take a
trip to Karamoja and see if you see any boys with stones or discs
hanging on the tips of their penises. I am even happy to accompany you,
provided you pay for my airfare.
Here is my plea. If there is any
young man out there tying weights to his penis because Karamojong boys
do it to achieve monumental and elongated penises, PLEASE STOP IT!
Instead
consult with a sex therapist who can help you deal with the issues of
penis size. I am not a sex therapist -- I CAN'T HELP YOU. I can tell you
though, many women don't give a hoot about the size of your penis. Just
give them some good loving sex -- that's all. But I tried telling that
to the young man who emailed me and he didn't believe me when I told him
"penis size" is men's "problem", not women's. He still wanted a longer
and larger penis. I told him what I just said here, talk to a sex
therapist. PLEASE!
It's not even funny!
Christine Akiteng is an internationally renowned Dating
Confidence/Relationships Coach who has devoted her life to the blending
of indispensable age-old wisdom with modern realities into a
prescription for passion, vitality, balance and effortlessness. Her
thought-provoking message of conscious intentionality offers singles
new, realistic and stimulating insights to rediscovering the mysteries
and eternal beauty of men - women sexual relationships.
