Preserving Our Language. Protecting Our Heritage. Building Our Future. ISSUE 01 | AUGUST 2026 FROM THE FOUNDER Dear Friends, Supporters, Researchers, Teachers, Parents, Learners and Lovers of Benin Heritage, Welcome to the first edition of the Ẹdomaye Legacy Newsletter. Ẹdomaye Legacy Foundation exists because our language, history and cultural heritage deserve to be preserved, properly documented and passed confidently from one generation to the next. Our work is not simply about looking backward. It is about using the strength of our heritage to BUILD THE FUTURE. Through Edo/Benin language education, cultural research, publications, digital learning and community programmes, we are building an educational legacy that can serve our people and introduce the richness of the GREAT BENIN KINGDOM to the wider world. Our guiding principle remains: ONLY THE BEST IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR ẸDOMAYE LEGACY FOUNDATION. Forward ever, backward never. Otodede James IbieorutomwenFounder / Executive DirectorẸdomaye Legacy Foundation 🗣️ EDO LANGUAGE CORNER WHY OUR LANGUAGE MATTERS A language is more than a means of communication. It carries the memories, worldview, values, wisdom and identity of a people. That is why Ẹdomaye is committed to encouraging the proper learning, teaching, documentation and preservation of the Edo/Benin language. Our educational materials are being developed with attention to proper Edo orthography and are intended to make learning accessible to children, young people, adults, teachers and members of the Benin community worldwide. OUR MESSAGE IS SIMPLE: Learn the language.Speak the language.Teach the language.Preserve the language. 🏛️ BENIN HERITAGE WATCH THE GREAT BENIN KINGDOM The history and achievements of the Benin Kingdom form an important part of Africa’s heritage. Ẹdomaye continues to document and communicate aspects of Benin history, heritage, architecture, language and cultural achievements through educational content and publications. Among our recent heritage work is our publication on the GREAT BENIN EARTHWORKS (IYA) and the wider effort to bring greater attention to the monumental achievements of the Benin people. Our objective is not merely to celebrate the past. It is to RESEARCH IT, DOCUMENT IT, TEACH IT AND PRESERVE IT FOR THE FUTURE. 🎓 ẸDOMAYE DIGITAL ACADEMY BUILDING THE FUTURE OF EDO LANGUAGE & HERITAGE EDUCATION The Ẹdomaye Digital Academy is being developed as an important part of our educational vision. The Academy brings together digital learning, Edo/Benin language education and cultural heritage in a format designed for today’s learners. Our programmes will progressively cover: The vision is clear: MAKE QUALITY EDO/BENIN LANGUAGE AND HERITAGE EDUCATION ACCESSIBLE BEYOND THE CLASSROOM AND BEYOND GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES. 📚 RESEARCH & PUBLICATIONS Ẹdomaye Legacy Foundation is building a growing body of educational and cultural publications covering: We are also developing structured learning materials, including the Ẹdomaye Academy Textbook Series, teacher resources and assessment materials. Our long-term objective is to create a reliable body of resources that students, teachers, researchers and future generations can use. 📢 21-DAY DIGITAL TRAINING FREE SMARTPHONE GRAPHICS DESIGN & VIDEO EDITING TRAINING Ẹdomaye Legacy Foundation is also using digital skills to empower people to become creators rather than merely consumers of technology. The FREE 21-DAY SMARTPHONE GRAPHICS DESIGN & VIDEO EDITING TRAINING demonstrates this commitment. Participants can learn how to use their smartphones as creative tools for: NO COMPUTER. NO EXPERIENCE. JUST YOUR SMARTPHONE. 🌍 OUR OUTREACH Ẹdomaye’s work increasingly involves engagement with educational, cultural and research institutions. We are pursuing collaborations that can strengthen: Our approach is simple: BUILD PARTNERSHIPS.BUILD KNOWLEDGE.BUILD CAPACITY.BUILD LEGACY. ❤️ HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THE MISSION You do not have to be a researcher, teacher or historian to contribute. You can help by: LEARNING — Learn Edo/Benin language and encourage others to learn. TEACHING — Share what you know with children and young people. SHARING — Share Ẹdomaye educational and heritage content. SUPPORTING — Support programmes that advance language and heritage education. CONNECTING — Introduce Ẹdomaye to educators, researchers, institutions and organisations that share the vision. Every contribution helps preserve a piece of our collective heritage. 🔔 WHAT’S NEXT More Edo language lessons. More Benin history. More heritage research. More educational resources. More digital learning. More collaborations. More opportunities for our people to learn, create and preserve. This newsletter will keep you informed as the journey continues. OUR VISION PRESERVE THE LANGUAGE. DOCUMENT THE HERITAGE. EDUCATE THE NEXT GENERATION. BUILD THE FUTURE. ẸDOMAYE = WE ARE IN BENIN. THE GREAT BENIN KINGDOM Forward ever, backward never. STAY CONNECTED Ẹdomaye Legacy Foundation Website: Edomaye.comEmail: edomayelegacyproject@gmail.com Follow and share our educational work through our official digital platforms. Thank you for being part of the Ẹdomaye journey. Ẹdomaye Legacy Foundation Preserving Our Language. Protecting Our Heritage. Building Our Future.

100-Day Ẹdo Words & Expressions ẸDOMAYE LEGACY FOUNDATIONWE ARE IN BENINForward Ever, Backward Never. INTRODUCTION A 100-day programme for daily learning, use, preservation and transmission of the Ẹdo (Benin) language. Each day presents an Ẹdo word or expression with its English meaning. One Ẹdo word may carry more than one meaning. Repeated forms are therefore preserved where different meanings have been recorded. DAYS 1–25 1. Ọmọ — Child2. Ọmọrẹfe — Child is wealth3. Ọmọrọdiọn — Child is senior4. Ọmọrogiuwa — Child is the King of wealth5. Ọmọsẹfe — Child is greater than wealth6. Ọmọsumwẹ — A child leads me7. Ọmọsigho — Child is more than wealth8. Ọmọrowa — Child is a home9. Ọmọdiọn — Senior child10. Ọmọdamwẹ — The child is mine / My own child11. Ọmọbude — A child is a source of wise counsel / brings honour and good advice12. Ọyẹmwẹ — Happiness / Joy13. Ọyẹmwẹngbe — Personal joy / Personal happiness14. Iye — Mother15. Iyemwẹ — My mother16. Erha — Father17. Erhamwẹ — My father18. Ọbowiẹ — Good morning19. Ọbavan — Good afternoon20. Ọbota — Good evening21. Ọkhionwiẹ — Good night22. Ọbimwina — Well done23. Ọbokhian — Welcome24. Ọbevbaru — Well worked / Well done25. Ọbitota — Well seated Iyemwẹ tie ruẹ. — My mother is calling.Erhamwẹ tie ruẹ. — My father is calling.Iyemwẹ riẹki. — My mother is going to the market.Erhamwẹ riugbo. — My father is going to farm. DAYS 26–37 26. Wẹnrẹn — To be thin27. Khere — To be small28. Mose — To be beautiful29. Newẹnrẹ — Thin30. Nekhere — Small31. Aban — Native handcuff32. Abẹe — Penknife33. Abẹmwẹ — Stammerer34. Afiala — Flag35. Agbaka — Crocodile36. Agbakpan — Bald person37. Agbanmwẹ — Chin / lower jaw DAYS 38–64 38. Sẹkẹsẹkẹ — Filthy / dirty 39. Sẹlẹkẹ — Dirty / filthy object 40. Sẹrae — Leave behind 41. Sẹrhiẹnrhiẹ — Revoke a curse 42. Sẹrriọ — Up to that 43. Sẹrrio — Such that 44. Sẹrriọ — So much / so 45. Ẹwu — Dress 46. Sẹsẹsẹ — Very clean 47. Sẹsẹsẹ — Very white 48. Sẹtin — To be able 49. Sẹtin — To be strong enough 50. Sẹtin — To do something 51. Sẹtin — Capable of doing something 52. S

ẸMWẸ ỌGHẸDẸGBEDẸGBE VBIHI’YISẸN ẸDO WORDS OF THE DAY — 100 DAILY ẸDO WORDS & EXPRESSIONS Preserving the Ẹdo Language • Teaching Our People • Passing Our Heritage to the Next Generation Welcome to ẸMWẸ ỌGHẸDẸGBEDẸGBE VBIHI’YISẸN, the Ẹdomaye 100-Day Ẹdo Words of the Day project. For 100 days, we present Ẹdo words and expressions with their English meanings, helping learners, teachers, parents, children and everyone interested in the Ẹdo language to learn, remember and use our language correctly. Where an Ẹdo word has more than one meaning, the different contextual meanings are presented clearly. This helps learners understand not only the word itself, but also how it is used. Ẹdo language is our heritage. Let us learn it, speak it, teach it and preserve it. THE 100-DAY ẸDO WORDS OF THE DAY

ẸMWẸ ỌGHẸDẸGBEDẸGBE VBIHI’YISẸN 100 DAILY ẸDO WORDS & EXPRESSIONS ẸDOMAYE LEGACY FOUNDATION WE ARE IN BENIN Forward Ever, Backward Never. ABOUT THE 100-DAY ẸDO LANGUAGE PROJECT ẸMWẸ ỌGHẸDẸGBEDẸGBE VBIHI’YISẸN is a 100-Day Ẹdo Language Learning and Heritage Programme created by Ẹdomaye Legacy Foundation to encourage the daily learning, use, documentation and preservation of the Ẹdo (Benin) language. Each day introduces an Ẹdo word or expression together with its English meaning. Where one Ẹdo word carries different meanings, the different meanings are presented according to context. TODAY’S ẸDO WORDS Meaning: Guiding Angel Ẹhi — Guiding Angel Meaning: Tortoise Egui — Tortoise Meaning: Sweeping Ikpolo — Sweeping Meaning: Stitch Ukpokpo — Stitch Meaning: Child’s cloth Ukpọn ọmọ — Child’s cloth Meaning: Plant name Ukpọlọ — Plant name WHY THESE WORDS MATTER Language is more than communication. It carries history, identity, knowledge, memory and culture. Every Ẹdo word preserved and taught is a contribution to the preservation of the linguistic heritage of the Benin people. Ẹdomaye Legacy Foundation is committed to documenting, teaching and promoting authentic Ẹdo language and Benin cultural heritage for children, young people, adults, researchers and the Benin diaspora. LEARN ONE WORD.USE ONE WORD.TEACH ONE WORD.PRESERVE OUR LANGUAGE. ẸDOMAYE LEGACY FOUNDATION WE ARE IN BENIN Forward Ever, Backward Never.

Egui — Tortoise Ikpolo — Sweeping Ukpokpo — Stitch Ukpọn ọmọ — Child’s cloth Ukpọlọ — Plant name

100 DAILY ẸDO WORDS & EXPRESSIONS ẸDOMAYE LEGACY FOUNDATIONWE ARE IN BENINForward Ever, Backward Never. ABOUT THE 100-DAY ẸDO LANGUAGE PROJECT ẸMWẸ ỌGHẸDẸGBEDẸGBE VBEHE IYISẸN is a 100-Day Ẹdo Language Learning and Heritage Programme created to encourage the daily learning, use, documentation and preservation of the Ẹdo (Benin) language. Each day introduces an Ẹdo word or expression together with its English meaning. Where one Ẹdo word carries different meanings, the different meanings are deliberately retained. This reflects the richness of the language and the importance of context. ONE ẸDO WORD MAY CARRY MORE THAN ONE MEANING. DAYS 1–25 1. Ọmọ — Child 2. Ọmọrẹfe — Child is wealth 3. Ọmọrọdiọn — Child is senior 4. Ọmọrogiuwa — Child is the King of wealth 5. Ọmọsẹfe — Child is greater than wealth 6. Ọmọsumwẹ — A child leads me 7. Ọmọsigho — Child is more than wealth 8. Ọmọrowa — Child is a home 9. Ọmọdiọn — Senior child 10. Ọmọdamwẹ — The child is mine / My own child 11. Ọmọbude — A child is a source of wise counsel / brings honour and good advice 12. Ọyẹmwẹ — Happiness / Joy 13. Ọyẹmwẹngbe — Personal joy / Personal happiness 14. Iye — Mother 15. Iyemwẹ — My mother 16. Erha — Father 17. Erhamwẹ — My father 18. Ọbowiẹ — Good morning 19. Ọbavan — Good afternoon 20. Ọbota — Good evening 21. Ọkhionwiẹ — Good night 22. Ọbimwina — Well done 23. Ọbokhian — Welcome 24. Ọbevbaru — Well work / Well done 25. Ọbitota — Well sitted FAMILY EXPRESSIONS Iyemwẹ tie ruẹ.My mother is calling. Erhamwẹ tie ruẹ.My father is calling. Iyemwẹ riẹki.My mother is going to the market. Erhamwẹ riugbo.My father is going to farm. DAYS 26–37 26. Wẹnrẹn — To be thin 27. Khere — To be small 28. Mose — To be beautiful 29. Newẹnrẹ — Thin 30. Nekhere — Small 31. Aban — Native handcuff 32. Abẹe — Pen knife 33. Abẹmwẹ — Stammerer 34. Afiala — Flag 35. Agbaka — Crocodile 36. Agbakpan — Bald person 37. Agbanmwẹ — Chin / lower jaw DAYS 38–64 38. Sẹkẹsẹkẹ — Filthy / dirty 39. Sẹlẹkẹ — Dirty / filthy object 40. Sẹrae — Leave behind 41. Sẹrhiẹnrhiẹ — Revoke a curse 42. Sẹrriọ — Up to that 43. Sẹrrio — Such that 44. Sẹrriọ — So much / so 45. Ẹwu — Dress 46. Sẹsẹsẹ — Very clean 47. Sẹsẹsẹ — Very white 48. Sẹtin — To be able 49. Sẹtin — To be strong enough 50. Sẹtin — To do something 51. Sẹtin — Capable of doing something 52. Sikaẹn — To become strong 53. Sikaẹn — To become sound 54. Sikẹẹ — To be close to 55. Sikoko — To assemble 56. Sikuẹn — To crouch 57. Sikuẹn — To fold over 58. Sikuẹn — To bend 59. Sihuan — To sing a song 60. Sihuan — To sing 61. Tafia — To be nosy 62. Tafia — To meddle 63. Tafia — To interfere 64. Tafia — To be forward DAYS 65–90 65. Agbaziro — Confidant 66. Ahẹn — Siegbe 67. Ahiọ — Urine 68. Aho — Hoe 69. Ahoẹmwọmwa — Love 70. Ahoẹmwọmwa — Amity 71. Ahoẹmwọmwa — Goodwill 72. Akobẹ — Metal trap 73. Akuọmọ — Womb 74. Akota — Evening 75. Akugbe — Unity 76. Akiyẹyẹ — Foolery 77. Akiyẹyẹ — Joke 78. Akuaghagha — Tree 79. Akuirọn — A dark brown bird 80. Ako — Fruits tree 81. Ako — Gift parcel 82. Ako — Present 83. Oko — Present 84. Akha — Weaver bird 85. Akhaẹ — Stinginess 86. Akhasẹ — Prophet 87. Akhe — Clay pita 88. Akhiẹ — Mourning 89. Okhiọnkpa — Loner 90. Akhuẹ — Marble DAYS 91–100 91. Iruẹmwi — Learning 92. Orinmwi — Corpse / Dead body 93. Erhan — Wood 94. Okperhan — Big tree 95. Orhunmwu — Pear 96. Iyan — Yam 97. Ogui — Bush mango 98. Ivienbo — Coconut 99. Ibata — Shoe 100. Urhukpa — Light ADDITIONAL VERIFIED VOCABULARY Ẹhi — Guiding AngelIkpolo — SweepingUkpokpo — StitchUkpọn ọmọ — Child’s clothUkpọlọ — Plant nameOkperhan — TreeErhan — WoodMẹẹ — IVbẹki — In the marketNodẹ — YesterdayỌghẹdẹ — Plantain Mẹẹ dẹ ọghẹdẹ vbẹki nodẹ.I bought plantain in the market yesterday. WHY THIS PROJECT MATTERS Ẹdo language is a major part of the cultural identity and heritage of the Benin people. Documentation creates a resource that learners, teachers, students, researchers and future generations can consult and build upon. This 100-Day project is therefore not simply a list of translations. It is part of an ongoing effort to document, teach, preserve and transmit Ẹdo language and cultural knowledge. ONLY THE BEST IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR ẸDOMAYE LEGACY FOUNDATION. ẸDOMAYE LEGACY FOUNDATIONWE ARE IN BENINForward Ever, Backward Never.

Preserving Culture & Empowering EducationWE ARE IN BENIN Ẹdomaye is entering a new stage in its mission to preserve, teach and promote the Edo language, Benin history and the rich cultural heritage of our people. We are developing the Ẹdomaye Digital Academy, an educational platform that will become an integrated part of the existing Ẹdomaye.com website. The purpose is simple: to make authentic Edo language and Benin heritage education more accessible to learners in Nigeria and across the world. Why the Ẹdomaye Digital Academy? Our language and heritage must not remain confined to books, classrooms or physical locations. A child in Benin City, a teacher in another part of Nigeria, or a member of the Edo community living thousands of kilometres away should be able to access quality learning materials and begin learning from wherever they are. The Ẹdomaye Digital Academy will help make that possible. The Academy is being designed to support: Building on What Already Exists The Academy is not intended to replace Ẹdomaye.com. Ẹdomaye.com is already our established digital home, and our growing collection of articles, research, educational materials and publications will remain an important part of the platform. The Digital Academy will build upon this foundation. Development will be carefully planned and tested so that the existing website, content, branding and resources are protected while new educational functionality is introduced. Our Vision Ẹdomaye believes that language preservation must go beyond simply documenting words. A living language must be taught, spoken, studied, written and passed from one generation to another. Our vision is therefore to create a digital learning environment where Edo language and Benin heritage can be encountered not merely as historical subjects, but as living knowledge. The Academy will continue to develop as the Ẹdomaye Legacy Project grows. From Heritage to the Next Generation Every Edo word preserved is part of our heritage. Every historical account carefully documented is part of our collective memory. Every learner who gains knowledge of the Edo language and Benin heritage becomes another link in the chain connecting generations. That is why this work matters. Ẹdomaye Digital Academy is not simply another website project. It is part of a larger cultural preservation mission. We are building for today, but we are also building for generations yet unborn. Ẹdomaye — Preserving Culture & Empowering Education. WE ARE IN BENIN. Let the Leopard roar as loud as it can ever be.

Document. Protect. Preserve. Pass It On. An Ẹdomaye Call to Preserve the Ancient Benin Earthworks The Iya of Benin, commonly described as the Benin earthworks or Benin City earthworks, are among the most remarkable surviving monuments of the Benin cultural landscape. They are not merely earth. They are history. They are engineering. They are landscape. They are memory. And what remains must be protected. WHY PRESERVATION MUST BEGIN NOW Archaeological research has demonstrated that the Benin Iya form an extensive network of ditches and earthen ramparts associated with hundreds of settlements across the wider Benin and Esan landscape. Recent research estimates the wider earthwork system at approximately 16,000 kilometres, covering about 6,500 square kilometres, although the precise extent and chronology remain subjects of continuing archaeological investigation. The evidence also shows that the Iya should not simply be understood as one wall built at one time by one ruler. They represent a complex landscape whose construction, modification and expansion occurred over an extended period. Benin traditions preserve accounts associating particular earthworks with particular rulers. Archaeology provides another body of evidence, and scholars continue to investigate how the different sections developed. Ẹdomaye believes these sources should be studied together rather than placed unnecessarily in opposition. OUR HISTORICAL PRINCIPLE Ẹdomaye will distinguish clearly between: BENIN TRADITION — What has been preserved through Benin historical memory, oral traditions and traditional accounts. ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE — What physical remains, excavation, dating and archaeological research demonstrate. DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE — What early written records actually record. SCHOLARLY INTERPRETATION — How historians, archaeologists and other researchers interpret the available evidence. UNCERTAINTY — What remains unresolved and requires further investigation. This approach does not weaken Benin history. It strengthens it. THE PRESERVATION CHALLENGE The surviving Iya face serious pressure from urban development and other forms of human activity. Recent archaeological research has documented substantial loss of earthworks within Benin City and has emphasized the urgent need for conservation and community involvement. Every section that disappears represents the loss of physical evidence. Every undocumented traditional name risks being forgotten. Every elder who passes away without having their knowledge recorded may take part of the historical memory with them. Therefore: WE MUST DOCUMENT NOW. THE ẸDOMAYE IYA HERITAGE ARCHIVE Ẹdomaye proposes the development of a structured Iya Heritage Archive to document surviving and historically remembered sections of the Benin earthworks. For every site that can responsibly be documented, the archive should record: Each documented site should receive a unique identification number. For example: IYA-001 IYA-002 IYA-003 and so forth. Over time, these records can become part of a permanent digital heritage archive. DOCUMENT THE ELDERS This is one of the most urgent tasks. Elders and community custodians who possess knowledge about surviving Iya should be interviewed respectfully and, where they consent, recorded. Questions should include: What is this earthwork called? What is its traditional history? Who is traditionally associated with it? What was it used for? Where did it originally extend? What has disappeared? When did the changes begin? What does the community remember that may not exist in written records? Where possible, interviews should preserve the Edo-language testimony, followed by accurate transcription and English translation. In this way, Iya preservation can also become Edo-language preservation. DOCUMENT WHAT HAS ALREADY DISAPPEARED Preservation does not mean documenting only what survives. Where an Iya has already been destroyed or severely damaged, Ẹdomaye should document the history of the loss. We should record: What was there? Where was it located? What remains? When was it lost? What caused the destruction? Are older photographs or testimonies available? A destroyed monument should not become a forgotten monument. Its history should remain in the archive. CREATE THE ẸDOMAYE IYA MAP One long-term goal should be an Ẹdomaye Iya Heritage Map. The map could eventually identify: Surviving Iya Partially surviving Iya Destroyed Iya Traditional sites Sites requiring archaeological investigation Sites requiring urgent preservation attention The map does not need to begin perfectly. It can grow as evidence is responsibly collected and verified. COMMUNITY MUST BE AT THE CENTRE Ẹdomaye cannot and should not attempt to preserve the Iya alone. The communities living around the earthworks are essential partners. Preservation should involve, where appropriate: The people who live with the heritage must have a meaningful voice in its preservation. WE MUST NOT DAMAGE THE EVIDENCE Preservation must be responsible. Ẹdomaye should not excavate, dig into, rebuild, alter or remove archaeological material without appropriate professional authority and legal permission. Our immediate responsibilities are: DOCUMENT. EDUCATE. RAISE AWARENESS. CONNECT COMMUNITIES WITH PROFESSIONALS. ADVOCATE FOR PROTECTION. WORK TOWARD FORMAL HERITAGE PROTECTION The Benin Kingdom Earthworks are included on Nigeria’s UNESCO Tentative List. This is important, but it must be stated accurately: Tentative List status is not the same as UNESCO World Heritage inscription. Ẹdomaye therefore supports serious continued work toward: OUR PRESERVATION PLEDGE We will document what remains. We will record what our elders remember. We will preserve Edo-language testimony. We will distinguish tradition from archaeological evidence. We will acknowledge uncertainty where evidence is incomplete. We will document destruction rather than allow it to disappear without a record. We will educate our children. We will work with communities and qualified heritage professionals. We will advocate for serious conservation. We will preserve the Iya for generations yet unborn. THE IYA ARE NOT JUST EARTH. THEY ARE HISTORY. THEY ARE ENGINEERING. THEY ARE MEMORY. THEY ARE HERITAGE. AND WHAT REMAINS MUST BE PROTECTED NOW. A CALL TO ACTION If you are a community elder, historian, archaeologist, researcher, student, photographer, heritage worker or resident with knowledge, photographs, documents or oral history relating to the Benin Iya, Ẹdomaye welcomes responsible collaboration and documentation efforts. Let us record what remains. Let us preserve what our ancestors left behind. Let us teach the next generation. Let us ensure that the story of the Iya does not disappear with the earthworks themselves. ẸDOMAYE Preserving Culture & Empowering Education WE ARE IN BENIN LET THE LEOPARD ROAR AS LOUD AS IT CAN EVER BE. SOURCES AND HISTORICAL NOTE This article