krobo ceremony

I photographed the dipo ceremony of the Krobo people.
Africa many cultures celebrate the passage of a child towards adulthood. Among the hills Krobo of Ghana, young girls carry on an ancient tradition. Every year, girls undergo a transition to adulthood.
In the beginning of the Dipo each woman Enters a house where they shed Their clothing representative of Their childhood and put on a new, mature set of clothing by Their ritual mother. Then, they shave Their Heads and wash in the river Which is meant to cleanse the body and spirit in preparation for womanhood.
During this ceremony they dance to music to celebrate Their passage into wmoanhood, Represent and their Families by wearing handmade beads passed sown for generations, but most imnportantly to impress a suitor and the tribe's chief With Their new found grace and beauty.

   The only thing that the girls will wear, is a single band of carnelian beads. A red piece of cloth will hang from this strand, which symbolizes the blood of menstruation. The color of the stones and fabric is believed to keep away the bad spirits to which the girls are the most vulnerable. The souls of the initiates are called prior to the performance of the rite so they could tell what exactly they wanted to be done for them during the rites. For example, if an initiate’s soul demanded she be dressed in a  certain way or be given a certain dish, the organizers would grant this request. It is believed that if this is not done  and anything is performed contrary to the wish of the initiate’s soul, it could have serious repercussions on her.


   The girls have a leaf in their mouth which is supposed to help them remain silent and bring their thoughts inward. Their ritual mothers follow the girls to the sacred rock, all of them are carrying a special stick called dimanchu. Dimanchu means “to make you a woman.” Before they start their way to the stone, the girls are splashed with chalky water to ward off the evil spirits that they could encounter on their way to the rock.
http://eye4ethnic.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/krobo-people-dipo-initiation-rite.html