The Mount Holyoke News

Issue date: 4/30/09 Section: Perspectives

With all the pomp and fanfare that mark ceremonies in Ghana, there is one thing that always rings true: the achievements and failures of one member of society are regarded as those of the entire community. Whether it's the joyful naming ceremony to welcome a new individual into the warm embrace of the community, or the heart-wrenching funeral ceremony to bid goodbye to a family member, the community always stands together. One particularly significant rite of passage in many Ghanaian communities is puberty rites. Women are regarded as the essence of Ghanaian society, and as a result, their education holds significant importance. Once they are old enough to walk, girls are gradually initiated into the sacred circle of womanhood where they learn about the core values and customs of their society, and their role in the great circle of life. The culmination of this informal education is puberty rites, with which girls are finally ushered into womanhood.

Locally known as dipo and bragoro amongst the Krobo and Ashanti communities respectively, the key goal of puberty rites is to teach young girls about their rights and responsibilities as women, mothers, and wives in the society. Additionally, a particular focus is given to sexual reproductive health issues so as to teach girls about their sexuality, particularly where marriage is concerned. Like a typical "girls night out," these discussions are held away from the prying eyes of men. Eventually, a durbar or celebratory ceremony is held in their honor amidst drumming, dancing, eating and mischievous matchmaking.



While graduation ceremonies in Ghana do not have specific peculiarities that distinguish them from others across the globe, they do have distinctive similarities to the traditional rites of passage in Ghana. Like the puberty rites which mark the successful completion of informal education, graduation ceremonies in Ghana mark the end of academic pursuits at the tertiary level. In the past, graduates of the University of Ghana in Accra waited until the end of the academic year following their completion of studies to receive their diplomas. This was partly due to the enormity of the graduation class and the limited time and resources available for processing grades and handling administrative matters. Regardless of the time frame within which one receives her diploma, the celebratory atmosphere of the occasion is far from diminished. Like their traditional counterpart, graduation ceremonies are planned by an entire community and usually extends beyond the four walls of the university. Just as proud parents, siblings, extended family members and friends throng to the durbar grounds to share in the glory of the "newly-acclaimed woman" in their family, graduate relatives converge at the graduation grounds from the farthest reaches of the country. With a sense of accomplishment and relief, the graduates file up in their beautiful kente and African print attires topped off with the universal graduation gown. Ironically, the final declaration of the former students as graduates marks the real beginning of their apprenticeship in the great school of life.

Whether it's a traditional rite of passage marking the dawn of a new stage of life or a scholarly rite of passage like graduation, there are many lessons to be learned. One of these is the fact that there is an appointed time for everything. A time to learn, and a time to teach. A time to come, and a time to go. A time to begin, and a time to end. At the end of the day when everything is said and done, it is evident that the journey is just as important as the destination.

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