Misaje Shaa Festival: Empowering Communities Through Local Brew
The Champion, Cameroon, News, Oct 28, 2025
In the scenic Misaje subdivision, a unique cultural event has been making waves and transforming lives. The Misaje Shaa festival, founded by Dr. Ndansi Elvis, President of Unite for Health Foundation, has become a beacon of hope and economic empowerment for the local community. This annual celebration centers around Shaa, a traditional corn beer brewed from fermented maize, which has been an integral part of the region's heritage.
Dr. Ndansi Elvis, a proud product of the community, recognized the potential of Shaa production to improve the lives of local residents. In 2012, he initiated the Misaje Shaa festival to promote hygiene and sanitation in the production process, while also valorising the traditional drink. The festival has since become a major attraction, drawing national and international attention.
One of the key aspects of the festival is the Shaa competition, which pits local brewers against each other in a bid to produce the best Shaa. The event has become a highly anticipated occasion, with participants vying for attractive prizes, including cash, agricultural inputs, and scholarships for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Beyond the competition, the festival has had a profound impact on the community. Dr. Ndansi Elvis introduced better methods for cleaning cups, providing tap buckets for Shaa sellers to use running water and reduce the risk of waterborne diseases. This initiative has significantly improved sanitation and hygiene practices among vendors.
The festival has also given rise to the creation of Shaa women unions, which serve as financial empowerment units. These unions have enabled women to generate income, invest in their businesses, and support their families. The Dumbu Shaa union, for instance, has invested in two grinding mills, allowing its members to send their children to school, build homes, and take care of themselves.
The impact of the Misaje Shaa festival extends beyond economic empowerment. It has also contributed to the preservation of cultural heritage and traditional practices. Moreover, the festival has become a platform for social cohesion, bringing together community members, traditional rulers, and stakeholders from far and wide.
The traditional rulers of Misaje Subdivision have expressed their gratitude to Dr. Ndansi Elvis for initiating the festival, which has brought numerous benefits to their communities. They have also appealed to him to explore ways to bottle Shaa and potentially export it, which could further boost the local economy.
As the Misaje Shaa festival continues to grow in popularity and influence, it serves as a testament to the power of cultural events to drive economic development and social change. By valorizing traditional practices and promoting community engagement, the festival has become a model for sustainable development initiatives in this part of the region.
The 2025 edition of Misaje Shaa festival saw winners taking home fcfa 500.000frs as first Prize, fcfa 300.000 as second prize and fcfa 200.000 as third prize. The other seventeen participants took home fcfa 50.000 each as conciliation prizes. The 20 participants had a bag of fertilizer, a sprayer, a hoe, a machete and two bottles of chemical. This edition also had Muslim women compete with maasah a locally produce puff-puff. The Mbororo women also competed with cow milk. Each category cashing out financial prizes.
