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Dodoleglime: The Festival of Escape, Resistance,
and the Spirit of the Ve People

In the shadow of the majestic Akwapim-Togo mountain range, in the Volta Region of Ghana, the people of the Ve Traditional Area gather each November to do more than celebrate — they remember. They remember an escape, a struggle, and a victory that defined their very existence.

This is Dodoleglime — a festival of liberation and legacy. For the people of Ve, it is not just about history; it is about identity. A commemoration of their ancestors’ bold flight from tyranny in Notsie (present-day Togo), Dodoleglime is a cultural beacon — reminding each generation of the price of freedom and the power of unity.

More Than a Festival — A Celebration of Resistance

Dodoleglime translates to “coming out of the wall” — and that name is no metaphor. According to oral tradition, the ancestors of the Ve people were once subjects under a cruel ruler in Notsie. To escape his oppression, they devised a secret plan: they weakened a section of the wall that enclosed the city, then escaped under cover of night, walking backward to confuse their trackers.

This escape — strategic, courageous, and spiritual — birthed a new beginning. The Dodoleglime Festival honors that moment of breakthrough, teaching that liberation is not only a historical event but a continuous call to courage.


Sacred Rites and Commemorative Rituals

The Dodoleglime Festival is a multi-day event filled with rituals, ceremonies, and symbolic acts that preserve and honor ancestral memory:

Ancestral Remembrance and Libation
The festival begins with libations poured at family shrines and sacred spaces to honor those who fled Notsie and to invite their blessings and presence. This act reconnects the present generation with the brave spirits of the past.

Historical Reenactment of the Escape
A symbolic reenactment of the escape through the “broken wall” is performed — dramatizing the ingenuity and resilience of the Ve ancestors. It is a sacred drama, reminding all of the cost and courage of their freedom.


Pilgrimage and Procession
Traditional leaders and elders lead processions across the land — walking paths that signify migration, settlement, and struggle. Along the way, stories are told, songs are sung, and collective memory is preserved.

Durbar of Chiefs
At the heart of the celebration is the grand durbar — a regal gathering of chiefs, queen mothers, and community leaders. Draped in colorful kente and crowned with ancestral symbols, they reaffirm unity, development, and tradition.

Cultural Displays and Community Engagement
The festival features performances of borborbor, drumming, war dances, and storytelling. It also includes debates, educational talks, and youth programs that bridge heritage with contemporary relevance.


Dodoleglime and the Power of Collective Memory

Dodoleglime is not simply a look backward — it is a cultural compass pointing forward. It teaches:

  • That freedom requires planning, unity, and sacrifice

  • That history, when remembered well, protects the future

  • That culture is a tool of resistance and rebirth

It is a festival that says: You are not just free — you come from freedom fighters.


Tradition That Inspires Modern Relevance

While rooted in ancestral remembrance, Dodoleglime continues to evolve. Today, it includes health screenings, educational seminars, and development forums. These additions reflect the living nature of the festival — always grounded in tradition, but growing with the needs of the people.

Dodoleglime is not about reliving the past. It is about understanding it — and drawing strength from it to shape a better future.


A Cultural Homecoming of Purpose

For sons and daughters of Ve — near and far — Dodoleglime is a spiritual return. It is the moment in the year when the community gathers to declare: We are one. We remember. We rise together.

Families reunite, children hear the stories of their people, and the homeland pulses with the energy of renewal, pride, and collective vision.


Come Witness a Heritage Forged in Freedom

To witness Dodoleglime is to walk into a living epic. You will feel the gravity in the reenactments, the pride in the durbar, and the fire in the music and dance. Every gesture honors those who risked everything so their descendants could walk freely today.

Dodoleglime is not just a festival.
It is a freedom song retold in ritual.
A sacred salute to resistance, resilience, and rebirth.


Dodoleglime and the Power of Culture

What makes Dodoleglime enduring is its message — as powerful now as it was then:

  • Freedom must be defended by every generation

  • The past is a teacher, not a chain

  • Cultural pride is a foundation for future strength

IIn a world where many forget where they come from, Dodoleglime stands tall — reminding the Ve people, and all who witness it, that freedom begins with memory, and memory begins with honor.


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3 girls selling fruits and food at the road side. (c) Strictly by Remo Kurka (photography)