Preserve Our Culture, protect our Children – Chiefs and Queen Mothers Tell Gonjaland at Damongowura Kelly Damba 2026

 

The 2026 Damongo Damba Festival has climaxed with a call on the people of Gonjaland to preserve their cultural heritage, promote unity and protect children from abuse, exploitation and harmful practices.

The three-day festival, held under the theme “Preserving Our Heritage, Uniting Our People, Driving Sustainable Development,” brought together chiefs, queen mothers, government representatives and residents for a grand durbar in Damongo, the capital of the Savannah Region.

The celebration featured a series of traditional activities, including rice-picking and the slaughtering of a bull, before climaxing with the grand durbar of chiefs and people.

 

Addressing the gathering on behalf of the Damongowura, Seidu Kelly Braimah Boresa I, the Budamawura, Dr. Buah, said the Damba Festival was more than dancing and drumming, describing it as a living expression of the history and wisdom of the Gonja people.

“Heritage is the wisdom of our ancestors. Damba is a living testament to our history.”

He noted that Damongo’s strength lies in its cultural diversity, with Gonjas, Sisaalas, Mos and other ethnic groups living together, and urged residents to build bridges and promote peaceful coexistence.

The Chairman of the occasion, Tolodompe Abdallah, popularly known as Chief Monor, also made a number of appeals to the Gonja Traditional Council and the people of Gonjaland.

He called for the construction of permanent traditional palaces, the display of seating arrangements to guide protocol at traditional functions, and responsible use of social media platforms, particularly TikTok.

According to him, traditional palaces are not merely physical structures but important symbols of the history, identity and authority of the traditional institution.

He further appealed for support for the Bii-Kunuto Education Fund and urged authorities to promote the teaching of the Gonja language in schools.

The President of the Savannah Regional Queen Mothers, Kansawurche Hajia Veronica Bukari, used the occasion to raise concerns about the safety and wellbeing of children in the region.

She urged parents, traditional authorities and community members to pay greater attention to the activities, relationships and living conditions of children.

“Where are our children? What are they doing? Who are they living with?”

She expressed concern about teenage pregnancy, galamsey and other activities that she said were taking children away from school and exposing them to harmful conditions.

She called for stronger Child Protection Committees at the community level, describing them as the “eyes and ears” of communities in protecting children.

She also cautioned parents and guardians against pushing school-going children into hazardous labour and quick-money ventures, stressing that protecting children was essential to securing the future of the community.

The festival was attended by representatives of the Yagbonwura, Buipewura and Mankpanwura, as well as other traditional leaders, government officials and residents.

The 2026 Damongo Damba Festival therefore served not only as a celebration of Gonja culture and tradition but also as a platform for discussions on unity, education, child protection and sustainable development.

 

Source: ghanawatchonline.com/Salifu Adam Jabu