Our Children Need Direction – The Southwest Cultural Festival!
The Southwest Chiefs conference (SWECC) decided to take a great step to lunch their festival of the region on these remarkable dates 13th and 14th of December 2024 in Buea, head quarter of the Southwest Region. This Cultural Festival was an activation which marks another history for the region.
Cultural Restoration
For some years now the chiefs of the Southwest Region have been brainstorming on what they could do to restore the lost cultural values so that they don’t disappear for ever. The fathers of the southwest region realised that their children need direction. Following this, they decided to bring these children together through the first ever grand Southwest Cultural festival that brought tribes from all the six divisions of the region together. This cultural festival was headed by chief Moses Bessong Obenofunde former president of SWECC under the patronage of Prime minister Chief Doctor Joseph Dion Ngute.
More to this event was the launching of the SWECC’s magazine named “ KolaNut” headed by Chief Ebong-Pende which talks about some of the icons in the southwest region. Also, during this event was the presentation of the unique Southwest Fabric call EYASU.
“EYASU is a result of a reflection on what are those things that can serve as tools for unity, for peace, for all these values that we have in Southwest. EYASU is Ours. When people want to say ours is deeply ours something you cannot remove, something you cannot temper with. EYASU is the word what is deeply ours” (Mme Grace Ewang, founder of EYASU)
Why a cultural festival that brings all the six divisions together?
“As chiefs in the southwest, we are the people who by law are expected to preserve and promote the culture.” (Chief Moses Bessong Obenofunde). Thus, the festival was to showcase the cultural values of the Southwesterners and to create a place where children of Southwest can meet for social cohesion. “The idea was to have a cultural festival that will unite all the six divisions of the Southwest and speak like one voice and speak peace, unity, love and forgiveness.” (Chief Doctor Ekoka Molindo)
What the festival mean to the people of Southwest Region
Such an event does not only promote culture but it is also beneficial in various aspects. The festival is to unite southwesterners to reason as one big family., to work in team spirit and build each other for the growth of the entire region and the people which can be beneficial to the people of the region and Cameroon in general. That is why they created a Southwest group Forum where all Southwest children are encourages to join and learn and share knowledge in various aspects.
A very colourful event that bringing the people together to remember their roots. The presence of the various tribes from all the six divisions of the southwest Region demonstrates its rich cultural heritage and uniqueness.
” we encourage every Southwesteners who has a talent to help any other Southwesterner to develop their talents.” (Chief Dr. Mukube John Amadou, President of SWECC)
The Future
This festival has been branded as a yearly event for the Southwesterners. Every year, Southwesterners will be gathering as one family to demonstrate their cultural values. The Southwest Chiefs Conference (SWECC) has promised to keep promoting their region and helping their children to meetup with economic and sociocultural needs. That is why they make sure that the population is informed and can always follow up what happens each year under their leadership via the SWECC magazine “Kolanut” and a documentary about the event.
