Stories and facts

The Ngmayem Festival is a significant cultural celebration among the Shai people of Dodowa in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.

 This vibrant annual festival is a vital part of Shai heritage, honoring historical traditions and agricultural practices. Rooted in the agricultural practices of the Shai people, where millet was traditionally a staple crop, the festival marks the end of the millet harvest and serves as a time of thanksgiving and community gathering to honor ancestors and gods for a bountiful harvest.

 During the pre-colonial era, the festival emerged as a way to express gratitude to the gods for their protection during the farming season, while in the colonial period, it became a symbol of unity and resistance against colonial influence, reaffirming Shai cultural identity and autonomy.

 The festival features a week-long celebration including rituals led by community elders, a grand durbar of chiefs, traditional drumming and dancing, cultural displays, and communal feasting. Modern adaptations of the Ngmayem Festival include educational programs for younger generations, tourism promotion attracting global visitors, and platforms for political and social advocacy within the community.

 Ngmayem Festival continues to evolve, representing the enduring spirit, cultural richness, and resilience of the Shai people of Dodowa.