The Minister of Arts and Culture Pierre Ismaël Bidoum Mpkatt, who sponsored the largest Massa gathering for the 9th edition was honored with a tittle, crowned father/patron of the festival on the day of the festival's closing ceremony.
It opened on June 24 and ended on July 01, on the International Festival of Arts and Culture Massa. The festival
brought together Massa People of Cameroon, Chad and the Diaspora, for the promotion of culture and development.
It took place under the theme: "Carrying Tradition, Disseminating Culture, Promoting Development".
Activities were then set up both culturally and educationally through training with the election of the Queen of Logone.
This festival highlighted the restoration of the deep Massa identity. The advent of independence, the advent of multipartyism, cultural expansion all of which contributed highly to the disappearance of cultural values, the true identities of the Massa people.
Some beauty queens recieved cheques from development partners handed to them by the chair of the closing ceremony.
The Tokna Business Challenge organized with the UNDP saw the training of over 200 young people under the themes of Comprehensive Sexuality Education; Sexual and Reproductive Health, Entrepreneurship with UNFPA.
The Forum on Conflict Management and Prevention in the Logone Valley and on the Promotion of the Values of Peace and Living Together with UNESCO.
Also the training of 50 women carrying out Income-Generating activities in financial management and Organizational Techniques in a group (Bootcamp) organized with Emi Empire, the Capacity Building Session (Bootcamp) for 100 young mothers, market gardeners and "Bayam-sellam", these amongst others.
It is on this aspect that two-part resolutions were mentioned. In terms of promoting social cohesion: the rehabilitation of Labana; make Labana a development tool; make a casting of the masters of the Labana; set up a control and supervision body to reframe the behavior of young initiates; rehabilitate and develop the traditional fight this by restoring the Gurna in the villages.
On the development side: the establishment of an educational unit for the inclusion of the Massa language in the teaching of national languages; the Moulyana and their auxiliaries must carry out actions to block the way to the production, sale and consumption of adulterated drinks but also lend a hand to the authorities; the Massa Institute must develop strategies for making water available to populations.
As sponsor of this 9th edition, Pierre Ismaël Bidoung Mpkatt, Minister of Arts and Culture has congratulated the organizing team for having set up the crossroads of living together and an important element for the development of Cameroon and for the sub-region.