Kumawu "Papa" Festival: Its Significance and Dreams

Kumawuman is feverishly preparing towards the celebration of its periodic traditional and cultural "Papa" festival on Sunday, 25th March 2007. This was and is still the occasion not only for the depiction and display of their much vaunted historic bravery but also, the moment for family and on a larger scale, the descendants of Kumawuman reunion. At this occasion, the spiritual assistance and blessings of the gods and the departed souls are sought in anticipation of realising the elders' good intentions, culminating in good health for all, and infrastructural developments for the community.

Maladroitly, the original impact of the festival has been dented by the very action and inaction of the present generation to the shame, annoyance of our once selfless great ancestor-warriors, who are now turning in their graves in utter disbelief at our lack of initiation, lack of forgiveness but love of vindictiveness.


The solemn moment of reflection on exploring and exploiting all possible avenues to moving our once powerful but currently stagnant, if not retrogressing, town, forward has dawned on Kumawuman with the impending festival. There is then the need for all and sundry to bury their differences to help attain the set goals in the interest of the town and for the benefit of posterity, as may be spelt out by Nana Asumadu Sakyi II, the paramount chief of Kumawu traditional area.


It is not an onerous task but a great feat for one to swallow their pride and deceptive sense of greatness to admit their shortcomings and then say sorry, in a bid to redress a damaging situation. It is just unfortunate that the assumption of unyielding stance by factions or certain individuals of Kumawuman descent, has for all these years been allowed to degenerate to the point of costing Kumawu its historic eminence, in the cumulative non existence of reflective infrastructure commensurate of its enviously daring history, uncooperativeness among the once cooperative citizens of Kumawuman for a reason or the other.


Kumawu in particular, is lagging far behind its peers and the peer pressure should be enough to compel all concerned citizens to look forward to seeking amicable ways to resolving our bitter differences to enable us put Kumawu before our individualistic selfish interests, to bring back smiles to our miserable wrinkled faces, during this unique occasion of community gathering.


I personally appeal for patience and fortitude on the part of all those of Kumawuman descent all over the world, and ask them to identify practically positively with their ancestry place or origin of birth.

I greatly commend the "nouveau riche", Mr Yaw Brenya for his love and seeing through to materialisation, his vision for Kumawu. I know his two gigantic projects carried out in Kumawu are privately commercial ventures; they have created jobs for some people though. Mr. B. A. Mensah and all those who in the past helped Kumawu are very much in mind at this moment of counting the great sons and daughters of Kumawu and I ask many more to emulate their shining examples to resuscitate and put the dying Kumawu back on its wobbling legs. My late parents, Opanin Kwame Basoah and Awo Serwaah who inculcated sense of discipline, selflessness and spirit of cooperativeness in me and also helped in their own right, are more than appreciated and thanked posthumously.


It will be more than a welcome idea to see all Kumawuman citizens abroad form associations in their various countries of residence to discuss and raise funds to carry out projects in their place of origin. It will be recalled that Kumawu has been having bitter experiences with recurring cholera epidemic due to non availability of drinkable water and public places of convenience for about twenty years now. It falls squarely on the shoulders of the descendants of Kumawuman and none else, to find solutions to these teeming problems.


I am at times resigned to questioning the essence of certain public office holders whose dismal performance or lack of vision has contributed to the demise of Kumawu but now is not the time for apportioning blames but to seek solutions. I therefore call upon our Members of Parliament, District Chief Executives and Development chief ("Nkosuohene") to be dynamic, visionary and achievers.


Finally, "in unity we stand, in division we fall". Therefore, the ruinous divisive sentiments, the apathy within the very fabric being and mindsets of Kumawuman citizens must be eschewed to give way to progressive ideas which when seen through, could catapult Kumawuman to the envisaged heights.


Now is the time or never! I wish all the best at the glamorous celebration of the "Papa" festival.