English: "Go Ithoka"Rites&Rituals | Basotho Male Initiation, LebolloThis portrait documents a young Basotho male performing *go ithoka* during *Lithokong*— the homecoming ceremony that marks the conclusion of *Lebollo*, the traditional Basotho male initiation school. *Lebollo* is a rite of passage in which boys, known as *bashemane*, undergo a period of seclusion in the mountains lasting anywhere from a few weeks to six months, returning as initiated men, or *monna*.*Go ithoka* is the oral praise tradition performed at the homecoming. Standing before his community, the newly initiated man recites praise poetry that identifies his name, his clan, his ancestors, and what he stands for as a Basotho man. This poetry is taught during initiation by the *Mesuoe*— the traditional teachers of the initiation school — and its performance at the homecoming is considered one of the most important moments of the entire initiation process.While the young man performs, family members and community elders approach and pin banknotes directly onto his *kobo*— his traditional Basotho blanket. This is the family's public show of recognition and support for the newly initiated man. Additional gifts including bracelets, necklaces, and handkerchiefs are also pinned to the kobo by an instructor, while larger gifts such as additional blankets are kept by the family.The subject in this portrait is photographed mid-ceremony, his kobo visibly layered with the money and gifts placed on him by his family, representing the community's formal acceptance of his transition into manhood.