Dipofest on this weekend
Loading ...Backstage Productions, an events management company, is organizing the first-ever Dipo Festival (DIPOFEST) at Somanya in the Yilo Krobo District of the Eastern Region.
The event, which starts from Friday April 4, 2008 and ends on Tuesday April 8, is to create awareness on the importance of the Dipo rites among the Krobos.
Dipo, celebrated by the Krobos, is a ceremony that marks the entry of young girls into adulthood.
The ceremony officially lasts about five days, but pre-ritual preparation requires three weeks.
The five-day ceremony consists of dancing, eating and merry-making.
Once the young girl attains the age of 10, she is ready for the Dipo ceremony.
Although the goal of the ceremony is to celebrate a young girl’s new maturity, it is also aimed at teaching morals so that the young women grow up disciplined enough to control their sexuality and prevent them from premature motherhood and unwanted babies.
To afford the best possible selection, the girl will travel with her female mentor to nearby villages to perform the ceremony.
She takes with her all the glass beads owned by her family which represent wealth among the Krobos.
The more beaded necklaces, bracelets and other adornments she wears, the more attractive she will be.
Formerly, the girls performed the ceremony wearing nothing but their glass beads, but today, all girls wear loincloth.
Krobo women are regarded throughout the country as making the most suitable wives.
In an interview with BEATWAVES, Chester Ato Blankson, PRO of Backstage Productions said his company decided to organize Dipofest because “it was worrying to find our most potent and traditional rites die off due to lack of funds to support them, non-adherence and general indiscipline of our folks”.
He said though this is the maiden edition of Dipofest, 5 years from now, Backstage will expect this to become a replica of PANAFEST, where all tourist attractions in the Eastern Region will be incorporated into a three-week packed activity.
According to Mr. Blankson, the funds that would accrue from donations towards the programme would be used to sponsor at least 10 school girls in the area, as part of his outfit’s contribution to girl-child education.
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