Students recreate Krobo traditions at Mock Durbar festival

Students from 14 basic and senior high schools participated in the third Manya Krobo Ngmayem Festival Mock Durbar at the Odumase Anglican School Park in Ghana.

The event allowed pupils to move beyond being spectators by mounting their own palanquins and forming royal entourages to recreate the traditional durbar of the Ngmayem Festival. Organisers designed the initiative to address a growing disconnect between young people and their cultural traditions.

Each school was assigned a specific role representing different groups within the Manya Krobo Traditional Area, such as the paramountcy, traditional priests, and settler communities. By taking on roles like chiefs and queen mothers, students practiced traditional customs and learned about the area’s governance and system of inclusion. The Mock Durbar aims to develop leadership skills and public speaking abilities while teaching students to see themselves as custodians of their heritage.

The event has gained popularity in three years and is now a primary activity on the Ngmayem Festival calendar. Organisers intend to use the student participation to promote the festival and Krobo culture to a wider audience.