Students hold maiden edition of Manya Klo Ngmayem festival mock durbar

Basic school children from selected schools in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality held the maiden edition of the Manya Klo Ngmayem festival mock durbar on Tuesday, 23rd October 2024, at the precincts of the Konor’s Palace in Odumase-Krobo, Eastern Region.

The colourful event was designed to provide a platform for the younger generation to gain sufficient acquaintance with the culture of the Krobos. It left parents, tourists, and culture enthusiasts in awe due to the precision with which the children replicated the main durbar, traditionally held on the last Friday in October.

This initiative is the latest addition to the lineup of activities characterizing the annual Ngmayem festival celebrated by the Chiefs and people of Manya Krobo. The eight basic schools that participated in the maiden edition were:

• Odumase Presby JHS (representing the Paramountcy)

• Kodjonya Millennium Presby JHS (representing the Suisi division)

• Agormanya Methodist JHS (Djebiam division)

• Yokwenor MA Basic School (Piengua division)

• Agormanya RC JHS (Akwenor division)

• Matse Israel Basic School (Manya division)

• Our Lady of Fatimah (OLAF) School at Kpong (representing the National House of Chiefs)

Chairman of the Ngmayem Festival Planning Committee, Gilbert Nene Domesiakor Odjidja, described the event as a success. He indicated that the committee was in talks with the Traditional Council to widen the scope and make it a regular part of the Ngmayem festival activities. He commended the students and tutors of the various schools that participated and lauded the parents for adorning the children with valuable kente cloths, beads, and other traditional costumes.

The Manya Klo Ngmayem Festival is a vibrant, deeply rooted weeklong cultural event celebrated by the people of Manya Krobo in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The name of the festival is derived from two Dangme words: ‘Ngma’, meaning millet, and ‘yemi’, meaning to eat. Together, these words translate to ‘the Eating of Millet’.

The festival’s origin dates back to 1944, under the reign of Oklemekuku Azzu Mate Kole, then Konor of Manya Krobo. Azzu Mate Kole initiated the Ngmayem Festival as a replacement for the ‘Yereyeli’ (Hieyemi) festival, which had been introduced in 1893 by his father and predecessor, Sir Emmanuel Mate Kole. Over time, the ‘Yereyeli’ festival had waned in popularity, prompting Oklemekuku Azzu Mate Kole to establish a celebration that would better resonate with the Krobo people.