Project Work
Bragoroamong female
Akans
Teacher: Mr Hamza Bortei
Date: 9th May 2019
By: BoatemaaBoateng
What is Bragoro ?
Bragoro as a rite of passage from childhood to adulthood also offered the
context for secrets of womanhood to be shared only among women. ... It is a
rite of women, performed solely by women, and for a woman (the girl who
must be inducted into adulthood).
History About Bragoro
In June 2013, a traditional ruler in an Akan community advocated the
reintroduction of the 'bragoro' puberty rite to help reduce HIV
infections among the youth.1 In his view, the focus of Ghana's
strategic plan of reducing new HIV infections by 50% at the end of
2015 will be a mirage if pragmatic measures are not put in place to
help the youth to abstain from pre-marital sex and multiple sex
partners.
This is not the first time a chief2 has made such a call. In 2003 when I
did fieldwork on HIV/AIDS in Ghana similar calls had come from
other chiefs to help curb the epidemic, which was causing many
AIDS-related deaths. Such calls also reflect the view that there is a
general breakdown of traditional structures about sexuality in Akan
society, which is dangerous in regards to vulnerability to HIV (Anarfi,
1993). Certain cultural values that used to restrict people's (sexual)
behaviour have been abandoned and lost or are losing their
effectiveness. Bragoro is one such rite that is seen as completely
faded away in Akan society.
Most African cultures have customarily exercised strict control over
its members, especially women and girls, in a wide range of cultural
practices aimed as a mechanism to keep order in the society. The call
for the reintroduction of bragoro is at once cultural and political.
Chiefs and their female counterparts (queen-mothers) as well as
others in Akan society play a key role in ensuring sanity in society,
which also concerns Akan social structure and cosmologies. The
social structure, encompassing the totality of social institutions and
statuses, rights, duties, and norms expresses how a society organises
its way of life and has been an important analytical tool in
anthropological (ethnographic) studies.
Through their social structure, the Akan people construct a certain
portrait of themselves and their society, of how things were in the past
and the helplessness today due to HIV risks because of what is seen as
moral decadence among the youth. Sub-Saharan Africa remains the
worst affected region in the global HIV epidemic. A United Nations
Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS) report in 2011estimated that 23.5
million people who were living with HIV were resident in sub-
Saharan Africa, representing 69% of the global HIV burden. The rate
of HIV in women is reported to be higher than in men of the same age
group (UNAIDS, 2012). Ghana's prevalence rate is about 1.4%, with
260,000 people living with HIV, 140,000 of whom being women.
And new infections continue to occur. This situation is generally seen
as the result of laxity in sexual lifestyles; such cultural notions as the
unquestioned norms.
What is puberty rites in
Ghana.
Puberty ceremony presents an opportunity for an adolescent young boy or girl to be fully
recognized as an adult in our society. This stage, which is typically characterized by
physical growth and maturity as well as emotional changes in youngsters, is regarded
critical in our communities. This is the time they need to be intensively reminded of the
cultural values and be taught their roles as young adults.
Basically, it is through these puberty rites in Africa that girls are given highlights of the
traditional ideals of womanhood. They are given the rights to marry, but still, have to be
shaped to become good wives. Boys, on the other hand, are encouraged to step up and
be responsible for their families. In general, they are prepared in matters of marriage,
childbearing, sexual life and family responsibilities.
Interestingly, male puberty rites in Ghana are not as common as their female
counterparts. For example, certain communities such as Akan and Krobo, from southern
and eastern regions, it is only girls who undergo these ceremonies. However, puberty
rites in northern Ghana include both girls and boys.
Well, these rites are not that regular for boys because, unlike girls, the lads are taught
from a very young age how to be brave and responsible. For instance, Sisaala tribe in
the upper west region of our country, boys always walk in the company of men. They are
taught every aspect of manhood responsibility except for sex- which comes later on
when they are fully matured. All in all, the significance of puberty rites among these
communities is still acknowledged.
Even though the teachings are more or less the same, puberty rites in different cultures
are conducted in their own unique styles. The dress code, rituals and period for the
ceremonies all differ from one community to another.
Generally, many of them used to last for months, but due to interference from the
modern generation, they gradually shrank to just a few days. Technological
advancement has also played a huge role in the practices, for instance, in Krobo tribe
marks used to be made on the back of the hands of the participants. This has been
replaced with photography
Examples of puberty rites in Ghana
A country that is comprised of quite a number of ethnic tribes and clans, there are
various types of puberty rites in Ghana that are fascinating. The Ga-Dangme people,
particularly the Krobo tribe is one of the popular communities with a captivating
ceremony known as Dipo. Dipo puberty rites are usually held between the month of
February and May. On the other hand, puberty rites among the ewe are referred to as
Nugbet while Bragoro or Brapue is among the Akan. They are all very popular, judging
from the fact that puberty rites from Ghana are part of tourist attraction.
Onlookers-many of them being tourist-never want to miss the rituals and traditional
dances. They travel to Krobo towns every year to feast their eyes. The bead industry
consequently, thrives during these times.
How puberty rites are performed in
Ghana
The fascinating aspects mainly lie in the chronological order of the puberty rites and
rituals. One activity leads to another in a very organized way until the climax of the rite,
before coming to an end with congratulatory remarks to the participants. Here are some
of the communities with their versions of the puberty rites.
Puberty rites among the Akan
The Bragoro which is also referred to as Brapue is conducted after a girl’s first
menstruation. Typically, it’s the girl’s mother who announces the news as she prepares
for the ceremony. A girl who is set to be initiated is called Sakyima or Brani.
Before the rite takes place there is some spiritual and material preparation that has to be
conducted. The spiritual arrangement of the event involves finding out if the girl’s soul,
locally known as ‘kra’ conforms with the activities of the events. As for material
preparation, it usually requires things like food items, money, chicken among others.
While still in the preparation mode, the girl to be initiated is presented to the ‘queen-
mother’ who simply carries out an inspection to check if she is pregnant or not. Virginity
is regarded as purity in the community and hence it is highly valued.
who happened to be ‘impure’ before initiation used to be cast out alongside the man
who impregnated her. But then again, things have so far changed as special rituals are
now conducted to make a girl ‘pure’ again-even after losing virginity.
The day the ceremony finally takes place, an announcement is made very early in the
morning by the mother. She beats an old pan or a metal part of a hoe to announce it. It
usually never takes long for people to assemble. Puberty ceremony songs or rather
‘Brannwom' are played as people gather around.
The first rite for the ceremony is called ‘enstoolment’. It is conducted by an old woman
who has a reputation for having many children in the village. The initiates take her bath,
covers her head all the way to the waist but leaves her face exposed. She is placed on a
stool three times; sitting and standing repeatedly. It is the third time that she sits still
without standing. The stool is usually placed on a mat covered with a blanket or the
traditional kente cloth.
A brass basin locally referred to as ‘Yaawa’ is filled with water that has ‘Odwen’ leaves
while an egg is immersed in it. A dry ‘okro’ fruit is also placed just beside the initiate. All
these items are symbolic and highly significant to the community
.A woman sits beside the ‘Yaawa’. She sprinkles water on the girl with ‘Odwen Ahaban’
or rather leaves of Odwen. It is believed that the sprinkling of water is meant to drive
away the evil spirit that may make her barren and be protected. Being a celebration,
there is a lot of jubilation and merrymaking as women sing and move around the girl.
Libation is then poured on the ground with palm wine to give thanks to the ancestors and
gods for protecting the girl up to her puberty age. Gifts from friends, parents, and
relatives are presented to her as the celebration continues. All the gifts are showcased
around her.
After enstoolment, ‘ti-ya’ or rather hair cutting follows next. She is given a special haircut
as it shaped into a unique style called ‘Dansinkran’-which is basically a traditional
Asante women hairstyle. The father pays for this exercise and is regarded as capital for
the initiate. The, as well as toenails, are also cut as she dresses in a white cloth with her
breasts exposed. Beads are also wrapped around her on the neck, wrists, and ankles.
The next rite is the ritual bath. Ideally, it is supposed to be performed near a river or
stream. But then again, in a situation where no river happens to be flowing within, water
can be simply put in a ‘Yaawa’ for the same function.
Her head including her face is covered with a cloth as she gets carried to the stream or
river. Once on the river banks, the woman in charge carefully removes her cloth and dips
her in the water for three consecutive times as a special prayer is made to the ‘spirits of
the water’ informing them of their presence and purpose.
The ’Brani’ is then seated on a stool as lime is squeezed so that the juice drips on her
head. ‘Eto’ which is mashed yam, an egg and three leaves of ‘edwono' tree is thrown
into the river. There are some communities that go ahead and burry parts of the finger
and toes nails as well as pieces of hair at the river bank.
This whole exercise is done by four women and they use a new sponge, lime juice, and
soap to bathe her. Once she is clean and ‘transformed' into a woman, she is dressed in
a rich kente cloth with a pair of new ‘Ahenema' sandals to complement her new look.
Her hairstyle is again reshaped nicely. She is then carried home like a queen under a
colorful umbrella as ‘bragoro’ songs are melodiously sung.
When she gets home, she is then introduced into ‘Anoka’-mouth touching ceremony.
The food items are basically elephant skin, banana, mashed yam, boiled eggs and
roasted groundnuts. This is usually a dedication ceremony. Libation is first poured to
honor the ancestors and then food items are put into her mouth for her to taste. Each
food is followed by a prayer. For instance, when she tastes the elephant skin, the
officiating woman prays and says ‘May the elephant give you her womb so that you bear
many children’.
The initiate's head is then covered with a cloth as a boiled egg is put into her mouth. She
has to swallow the egg as a whole without chewing or biting it. She has to do the same
with the mashed yam. It is believed that if she bites or chews any of those items she
may become barren!
Coming to the climax of the ceremony, there is one more activity. She holds the hands
of two children, a boy, and a girl. According to the instructions given to her, she gently
releases her grip on those children as they rush to a big bowl of eggs and mashed
yams. As soon as the two touch the food, all other children on the sideline also rush and
scramble for it.
The initiate is then blindfolded and asked to touch two of the children. It is believed that if
she is able to touch a boy and girl, she will have children of both sexes
. The ceremony comes to an end with a feast for the initiate and her friends. There are
festivity and merry-making in the air. Eventually, after it has officially ended, the Sunday
of the initiation week is ‘Ndaase’, a thanksgiving day.
The newly transformed woman dresses in a rich kente cloth and is accompanied by her
friends who are equally well-dressed to the homes of people made the whole ceremony
a success.
