Greetings from The President’s Desk …
HOMOWO/NGMAYEM FESTIVAL – AFI 2019
Greetings (He Omanye) and welcome. “Homowo/Ngmayem-Afi 2019” is our festival which marks the
end of our 13 th Month Lunar Calendar Year. The Festival is the celebration of the Cultural Heritage passed
down from ancestors to their descendants in whose care everything is entrusted. Festival re-plays and
reminds the living about the past great sacrifices made by their ancestors for those yet unborn. Therefore,
the inheritors must preserve it, build it up, carry it into the future and never turn their backs on it. Festival
gives identity and personality. “A thing to impress the whole world with, is your own personality” says
Honorable Marcus Garvey. And through Homowo-Ngmayem, we showcase to the world who we are as a
people.
The festal food served during Homowo-Ngmayem Festival is called Kpekpele. It is prepared with
unfermented corn dough. Homowo’s Kpekpele hoots at food hunger. But, it first hoots at personal short-
comings or faults and other material things that we need but do not have. Homowo encourages one to flee
from laziness and to grow that which we eat in-order-to become self-sufficient. The Kpekpele eaten at
Homowo also whispers into listening ears to be morally sound.
Ngmayem or Homowo is about purity on the inside and outside. Before the New Year is entered, one is
to go to the beach early in the morning to bathe in the Sea in-order-to wash away all the bad (uncleanness)
of the past year. This is personal baptism, cleansing or purification. One must be very honest with oneself
and vomit out the secrets or skeletons in the closets and make a solemn promise that by-gone be by-gone
and to be determined never to go back to that not so good past.
From the beach (water), then to the community embracing and shaking hands of sisters, brothers and
neighbors, etc. one goes to the Clan House for special Libatory prayers for peace, Love, oneness, health,
wealth and long life. This libatory prayer is called “Ngoo wa” or Ngoowa’ (Receive Long Life, Long Life be
unto you, or Unto you Long Life). After the Longevity Libatory Prayer, all conflicts or frictions between
family members present and absent are ironed out with a hand - shake. In fact, after Ngoowa Prayer the
whole Nation-State is considered to be united and all quarrels are settled. That is the power, beauty and
benefit of Homowo-Ngmayem festival.
Sprinkling, in this context means that one should be open-handed and not closed-fisted; Should be giving
or give freely from the heart to neighbors, sisters and brothers in the community. One should not deprive
the weak, poor, babies, women and strangers among us of what is in our power to give.
Sprinkling also means giving the first and best part to the First Grand Ancestor and the human ancestors,
renewing and maintaining the spiritual connections between the Living and the Dead.
After the Sacred Festal Food is sprinkled on the ground, all those who walk on the earth accepts or
inhales or draws in the spirit of Asar, the Corn Divinity to till the land, harvest, store in barns and feed to
avoid famine, that is to “hoot at hunger”------ Homo-wo.
Through sprinkling, the GaDangme proves the existence of One God, the One, the Sustainer and that they
worship the One, only. All others are venerated (honored). Excerpts from
“HOMOWO-NGMAYEM IN BRIEF” written by Nii Sowa-La (2017), AyokaGifts International
African Cultural Center, Inc.
Finally, as we share the ending of one year and embrace the beginning of a New Year, let us
do so with a commitment to forgiveness and Love for self and others; To preserve ownership of
our Land and Culture; Letting our action be that of rightness in every area of life as we seek
after Truth. Thereby, making our community and the world a better place in which to live.
All are invited to live this next twelve months in peace, love and unity until we meet again at
HOMOWO-AFI, 2020, August 1-2, in the Historical Monteocha Community.
Nii Sowa-La