Ejisu to celebrate maiden Yaa Asantewaa I festival to rebuild burnt museum

The Ejisu Traditional Area will host its inaugural Nana Yaa Asantewaa I festival from December 24 to 27, to honor the courageous female warrior of the Asante kingdom. The festival, spearheaded by Paramount Queen Mother Nana Yaa Asantewaa II, aims to raise funds for the restoration of the historic museum. The museum, a repository of the queen mother's traditional relics, was destroyed by fire a decade and a half ago and has yet to undergo any major renovations to restore its former glory.

Speaking at the festival's launch, Nana Yaa Asantewaa II emphasized that this year's celebration would focus on revitalizing the museum to preserve the historical legacy of Nana Yaa Asantewaa I. She highlighted the festival as an annual opportunity to reflect on the queen mother's contributions to Asante history while mobilizing support for the restoration of the museum.

"This is the maiden festival in honor of our first queen mother," she stated, "and it will be celebrated every year to reflect on her history. This year’s event is, however, targeted at rebuilding the Nana Yaa Asantewaa Museum, which was burnt down 15 years ago."

The Paramount Queen Mother had received the Asantehene's approval for the festival, and she urged community members and well-wishers to participate in the festivities. Peter Kofi Marfo, the Regional Director of the Kumasi Cultural Centre, detailed the planned activities for the three-day event. He mentioned that the first day, December 24, would commence with a community clean-up exercise, health screening, and traditional games.

On December 25, traditional cooking competitions among various groups and churches in the area would be held. The festivities would culminate on December 26 with a grand durbar, during which funds would be collected to aid in the reconstruction of the museum. Marfo called upon various stakeholders and members of the public to attend in large numbers to support the festival and contribute to preserving Ejisu's historical heritage.