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The Dipo puberty rite is a tradition that carries a symbolic significance.
It is part of the heritage of the Krobo(s).
Dipo is a puberty right of passage. This ceremony is an initiation into womanhood. It is believed to help reinforcing cultural values, identity and also help curb premarital sex in young adults. The ceremony gives a sense of "completeness" Krobo and reaffirms the sense of belonging to the Krobos.
There are a lot of processes the initiates go through but the final step, is very crucial - The girls are adorned with finest beads from their families, some beads are passed on from generations to generations.
They are then marched towards a sacred stone in the forest which the girls are made to sit on seven
times.
It is believed that the stone is strongly connected with notions of the girl’s fertility, if a girl is pregnant or has had sex before, the deity (stone) will expose her by making her stuck on the stone.
This explains why some parents bring their girls at a younger age. Due to societal change and
assimilation of foreign cultures , some girls get sexually active at a very early age.
So for the families to prevent embarrassment, they bring their girls way before they became sexually active.
After the initiation, families and people from the town come to celebrate the girls. They make merry, dance, sing and celebrate their passage. Back in the day, this is the time potential male suitors come around to "select" who they want to marry.
Dipo is still under increasing pressure from modernisation especially the churches and schools.