Mepe To Hold Fund-Raising And Mini-Durbar At Dadome- Fakpoe On Saturday July 1,2023
All is set for the celebration of this year's annual Mepe Afenorto Festival.
Freeman Koryekpor 
Peace and community development will take centre-stage at the celebration of this year’s annual Mepe Afenorto Festival of the chiefs and people of Mepe in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region.
The three week-long festival, which begins with fundraising and mini-durbar which was scheduled to take place at Mepe Dadome-Fakpoe TVET Institute on Saturday July 1, 2023, continues with a number of activities, with an inter-denominational thanksgiving church service.
It would be organised by the members of Mepe Development Association (MDA) under the auspices of Mepe Traditional Council (MTC) on the theme:“Together In Peace and Development."
The Management Consultant with expertise in Leadership and Strategy who doubles as a member of the University of Ghana Appointment Advisory Committee ,Dr. Jeff Kwame Bassay is billed to chair the upcoming fundraising and mini-durbar ceremony.
The event would also be used to officially launch this year’s Mepe Afenorto Festival, with a call for unity and peace among the chiefs and people in the Meoe Traditional Area.
The organizers stressed the need for all citizens to be endeavour to attend the upcoming event which was aimed at raising the needs fund for the organization of the activities for the main Mepe Afenorto Festival.
The fund which would be raised at the event will also be used to execute the ongoings social and infrastructure developmental intervention projects and programmes in the area with the focus on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institution and community centre project.
Speaking in an interview with Soireenews.com, the Chairman of the Mepe Development Association, Mr.Kojo Mawulenu Fabian called for a united front to ensure socio-economic development and growth of the area.
According to him, character assassination, sabotaging, and backbiting is not in the interest of the Mepe Traditional Area.
He pointed out that the development thrives in an atmosphere of trust, peace, unity and sacrifice among key stakeholders.
Against this background, Mr. Fabian,therefore, urged the few disgruntled citizens of Mepe to bury their differences and join forces with chiefs and MDA to work hard to bring the needed development to the area.
Mr Fabian called on the youth not to allow themselves to be used by political parties and politicians to cause mayhem.
“Our youth must shun politicians who persuade you to cause violence,” Mr Fabian cautioned, and reminded the youth not to allow politicians to influence them with money to fight, as the 2023 elections approach, but rather be unified to build a vibrant community, society and nation.
He called for more educational opportunities and access to health care for the youth and advised them to involve themselves in communal activities, such as clean–up exercises and other voluntary activities that inure to the benefit of all.
“The youth must also report elders and young people who suggest vices and encourage you to involve in crime," he stressed.
Afenorto, meaning ‘period of rest at home’, is a celebration by the people of Mepe, usually between the months of July and August every year with a commitment to mobilise resources to fund development projects in the area.
It is aimed at renewing the sense of oneness among the people. It also provides unique opportunities for reunions, and bonding with families and the remembrance of ancestors.
Activities lined up for the celebration include an inter-school gala competition, a cultural musical fair, a lighting procession, a clean-up exercise, a vigil at all hunting shrines in the community and a film show.
There will also be a grand durbar of chiefs and people of the Mepe Traditional Area on Saturday August 5, 2023, to be followed by a state harvest, health walk, inter-clan regatta, health screening and a dinner dance.
In 1874, General Sir Garnet Wolseley moved against the armies of the ambitious Ashanti Kingdom who were attacking the coastal tribes of the Gold Coast: the “Sagrenti War” (ie.Sir Garnet War) as it came to be known.
The Anlos chose to align with the Ashantis. But the soldiers of Mepe, on the other hand, fought alongside the British colonial army for the freedom of the people of the coastline, an alliance that won most of the battles.
By this exceptional valour, the people of Mepe gained the accolade “Mepe kukuruku tsagblatsa, nekotsoe be yewoe bi dzo wu xe”, to wit, “kernel shells’’(i.e Mepe) had proven that they could produce superior quality fire to that of the baphia nitidia (the all local coalition). Baphia nitidia is a prickly tough wood well known for its burning prowess.
The origin of Afenorto
Mepe celebrated its battle victories by dancing to tunes of “Agbekor” war drums. This became an established tradition, with our forefathers setting a day aside (at the end of July) for the annual commemorations of what came to be known as” Agbekortu”.
Since the period coincides with the recurrent floods caused by the yearly overspill of the Volta River between the late 1960s and early 1970s, all citizens returned home (to Mepe) on a forced occupational holiday since the spills disturbed most economic activities (particularly, clam picking, fishing and farming) along the banks of the river.
However, there was a sudden turn of events in 1918 when the great influenza (kpata) swarmed the area with an unprecedented high morbidity rate which caused an abrupt interruption in the annual ritual for close to four decades.
A committee set up to work on reviving the festival recommended the fusion of the “Agbekortu” and “Time-out at Home” celebrations into the “Afenorto” Festival. Afenorto has undergone some transformations but has maintained virtually the same pattern since its outdooring in 1955.
Preparations underway
Currently, the chiefs and people of the Mepe Traditional Area are feverishly preparing for yet another round of Afenorto Festival, a “Period of Rest at Home” celebrated annually to renew the sense of oneness among the people.
It thus provides a unique opportunity for reunions, particularly bonding with the extended family and ancestors. The festival is interspersed with family and clan meetings (Apekpoe) convened to resolve differences, build bridges, and deliberate on issues of welfare, marriage and so on.
The undying characteristics of the Afenorto Festival include musketry and drumming (the talking drum); offering libation at “Vasime”, a location where twins were traditionally outdoored; a procession of chiefs and people of the traditional area to the durbar grounds, as well as a resplendent display of chieftaincy and customary regalia.
This is where the five proud clans of the Mepe people process in meticulous splendour. When the Dzagbaku division dressed in white takes the lead, the Adzigo clan in green will follow, with the Sevie in yellow; Gbanvie in red and the Akorvie dressed in assorted colours follow in successive order to the grand durbar held on the first Saturday of August.
