The fourth Goeviwo Za (Festival) of the descendants of Goeviwo in Ghana, Togo and Benin was on Saturday launched at a colourful ceremony at Adaklu Kodzobi in the Adaklu district.

The week-long festival is celebrated annually on rotational basis in all Goeviwo communities.

The theme for this year’s festival which will be celebrated at Adaklu Kodzobi from 4th to 10th August, this year on the theme: “Uniting for Development through Festivals.”

The festival will be climaxed with a grand durbar on 9th August.

Mr. Matthew Wormenor, Chairman of the Planning Committee, said the communities were descendants of one Togbe Goe, after the migration from Notsie in the Republic of Togo settled at different locations in the Volta region.

He noted that they used to be celebrated as “Norvisi Za” but it collapsed in 1954 but was resurrected now as Goeviwo Za.

Mr. Wormenor noted that the aim of the festival was to raise funds for the host community for their development projects.

He said it was also to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Goeviwo communities.

The Chairman said the committee in collaboration with other stakeholders was working to bring on board other Goeviwo communities in Ghana,Togo and Benin.

He disclosed that currently six communities made up of Adaklu Goefe, Adaklu Kodzobi, Tsrukpe, Goeviefe, Have and Woadze formed the nucleus of the celebration of the festival.

Togbe Dzegblade IV, Chief of Adaklu Kodzobi, in his welcome address, was full of praise for his colleague chiefs in the Goeviwo communities for coming together to assist each other to develop their communities.

“Together we can build our communities to an enviable level as their strength lay in unity,” he said.

Togbe called on his subjects to work hard to make the festival a success.

Present were all the Central Planning Committee members, Togbe Asemtsra IX, Paramount Chief of Have Traditional Area and representatives of the chiefs of the other communities.

An appeal for funds yielded GHC14,000.