A bride choosing event in Manji

Manji, a Muslim community about 2 hours (when driving 140km/hr) from Sunyani was having a wedding. Well that is what we were told, but when we arrived, we realized it was much more than that. Every year, an event is held for the men to choose their future wives. As we arrived, most of the young women were standing on top of a tall stilt-like structure and dancing to music that was blasting from a band below. After much colourful dancing (where even I got to be a part of), the woman who were single were told to dance in front of everyone else while their mothers collected money that was thrown at their feet from other community members. A man who was interested than came up to them and handed them a piece of cloth, which would be given every year until they were married. Some of the woman being chosen were very young. Mothers, whose daughters were already engaged showed off the cloth that they have already been given. There was lots of noise and dancing. Rachel, Portia (who works for CIKOD) as well as a few men from CARE were asked to sit and watch from the front row. In the middle of the celebration CARE gave a speech on HIV/AIDS prevention, which is part of a program that CIKOD is a part of. They help communities use events, such as the one we saw, as a forum to communicate important issues.