ELEMENTS SENIOR MWAMBO 2023

It is a celebration of the students’ passage from one stage of life’s journey to the next. The Mwambo has four symbolic components, all of which are represented during this celebration:

FOOD to nourish the body and spirit

MUSIC to invoke God and the ancestral spirits

WATER to represent the medium of life to symbolize African cultural identity

The Senior Mwambo begins with a libation, or blessing, by Tsitsi Wakhisi, the ceremonial elder. The libation is performed in the language of Nana (Twii) and English, and contains three important elements:

“ONYANKOPON KWAME BEGYE NOM” an invitation to God to come and receive drink

“ASASE YAA BEGYE ESA NOM” a blessing of the earth

"NANAMON NSAMANFO BEGYE ESA NOM” a blessing of honor and respect to our ancestors

The graduates are then invited forward to receive a kente cloth stole and stand before their families, peers, and University of Miami community to be recognized for their achievements.