THE DIPO RITE NOW A THING FOR TRADITIONALISTS

                          

The Dipo puberty rites is a very prominent event which has been carried out for years by krobos. It started from the top of Krobo Mountains when a man called “PAPA ANA” married two wives. His first wife had only girls and the second only boys. This was quiet traumatizing to the first wife because krobos inherit partrilinearly. Meaning only the second wife’s children could inherit their father. This made papa Ana come up with what we call “the dipo rite”, which was purposely to bring pride to his daughters and their mother and to prevent teenage pregnancy promiscuity until marriage.

When his first daughter menstruated, he gave her gifts including gold, traditional clay beads, scarfs, pieces of kente cloth and other valuables she needed as a woman. He then assigned her to the eldest women in the family to train ,which served as a form of vocational training as she was taught home keeping and child bearing. 

 She was walked with in town as she danced” klama” to announce her new stage of life dressed up in colorful kente and adorned with a lot of beads on her neck, arms and waist.

Unfortunately, the rites have undergone a number of changes over the years.

Previously it was held at home within the duration of one year but now in the shrines in the period of a week. This has gone a long way preventing Christian parents from allowing their children to get involved. They have food restrictions and are only allowed to drink from a well as a way of pleasing the gods.

As a part of this rites, a goat is killed and the fat is kept on the girls’ head with a hat and a leaf on their mouth. Which is not to be removed or to fall else she will face the wrath of the gods.

They are taken to a fenced rock distanced from the shrine which is believed to be a god and made to sit on, in order to determine her virginity.

 Any girl who is found not to be a virgin is ostracized and treated as an outcast. And therefore needs a set of purification rituals. If none of this happens, strong men are made to carry the victorious girls at his back and run with at a fast pace back to the shrine. These men are made to marry the girls as they say” he’s chosen by the gods”.

It is so sad that we have turned what used to be glorifying and beautiful to shame, spiritualism and human rite abuse.

 Girls are made to wear the very minimum clothing exposing their breast and other major parts.  They are also exposed to fear, AIDS as one razor blade is used in shaving their hair. .

And heartbreakingly compelling these innocent girls to marry men they do not love all in the name of tradition.

I so much agree with the conservationists when they say that “if you want to practice tradition go back to the ways of your forefathers”. Despite all the changes, krobos have managed to preserve this rite even though among other tribes in Ghana is virtually non-existing.

 Maintaining culture and tradition is not all about appeasing the gods rather depicting our forefathers.

Zii Wilhemina Autuogmin

PUC/150555