The inaugural edition of the YAYA Fire Festival was held in 2016 with the theme “Impacting   Your World”. As is the custom, young people from Freetown and its environs spent two weeks receiving an impaction. Lives were blessed and testimonies abound.

In 2016, most of the delegates were drawn from Freetown and its environs. By 2017, the momentum increased. News about the impact of the YAYA Fire Festival had spread beyond Freetown. Pastors from different Churches and Ministries bought into the vision because of the change in the lives of those who were a part of the Festival in 2016. 2017 was exciting. Delegates came not only from Freetown and its environs but from the provinces too.

This was the beginning of greater things to come. The theme for 2017 was “Making A Difference”.

“Empowered To Be Relevant” was the theme for the 2018 Festival. At this point, YAYA Fire Festival had become a household name in Sierra Leone. By the grace of God, delegates were drawn from neighbouring Countries – Guinea and Liberia, respectively. The YAYA Fire team, comprising of Music and Dance, had visited Conakry, Guinea for an annual event tagged “Africa Impact”. It was during that visit that Churches in Guinea became interested in the YAYA Fire Festival. They would later be regular at the Festival.

The opening ceremony in 2019 was extraordinary. A procession was held with torches in attendance. The excitement was second to none. Delegates from Freetown, Bo, Port Loko, Kono, Moyamba, Kailahun, and Freetown Rural, joined by delegates from Guinea and Liberia, the atmosphere was electrifying.

During the opening ceremony, the flags of the three Countries represented – Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, along with the YAYA Fire Inc. flag – were raised as the respective National Anthems were played. The flags were outed at the closing ceremony. 

“Giving Your Life A Meaning”, the theme, resounded throughout the two weeks. Customarily, music, drama, dance, sports, and other fun games make YAYA Fire Festival a ‘must-be’ for many young people.