This Ghana Love Affair (Odwira Festival 2019)

I attended Odwira Festival 2019 from the 16th - 22nd September, with travel influencer, Jessica Nabongo and cultural-tourism ambassadors, Kwena Bayoli from South Africa, April Nego and Akosua Shirley from Ghana.

We participated in a 7- day cultural display, from the outdooring of the new yam ceremony up to the Joshua Clottey's resurrection boxing match that crowned the week of festivities. The outdooring of the new yam ceremony (known as Krubii ) is performed by the Krubiihene (the master of ceremonies ), It begins with the chopping of wood and the creation of a bonfire that will burn throughout the week’s celebrations.

A little traditional back story. Every year from June - August, there’s a ban on eating yams for the people of Okuapeman. The people of Okuapeman live in the lush mountains of Akuapem in the Eastern region of Ghana. In the past, this was the time between planting and harvesting so yam dishes were banned from being made. The significance of the Odwira festival is to celebrate the harvest which lifts the ban on consuming yams. Most importantly, the traditional okuapeman calendar runs for 9 months, so the Odwira festival is celebrated in September and marks the new year for the people of Okuapeman.

Odwira Festival 2019 was more than I imagined, from all the cultural activities to the exhibitions, attractions and street jams to connecting and growing a deeper connection to my sisters @thecatchmeifyoucan @kwenasays @aprilnego and @akosuashirley and gaining a deeper appreciation and understanding of culture and traditions

Nana Konamah and Team was there to capture the connections and moment and bring you the Odwira Festival Feature film. Enjoy, watch, like , share and comment so I keep creating content you absolutely love.