Residents of Ziavi-Lume in the Ho Municipality of the Volta Region have initiated efforts to revive the spirit of communal development.

The elders have thus reinstituted an annual celebration dubbed “Ngoryiyiza” to raise funds to undertake development projects.

Residents of Ziavi Lume decided to take their destiny into their hands after several disappointments from successive governments with regards to the development of the community. 

The annual Ngoryiyiza ceremony was therefore instituted to raise money to fund development projects in the community. 

Funds accrued from previous celebrations were channelled into the construction of a library and a 3 unit classroom block.

The emergence of the Coronavirus pandemic leading to the imposing of restrictions prevented the community from observing the annual celebration between 2019 and 2021. 

Community elders, however, decided to resume celebrations after the restrictions were eased. 

The Ziavi Lume Dufia, Togbe Adza Kodzo, urged the community to forge ahead in unity and implored parents to enrol their children in artisan training. 

“The artisans in our community are growing old and are not being replaced because the young ones who could not continue their education have refused to get trained.”

“Parents who could not afford to enroll their children in secondary or tertiary education must send them to artisan training, for a better future”, he said.   

This year’s celebration was aimed at raising funds for the completion of an ICT Lab for the community basic school. 

Due to this, community members home and abroad were invited while foodstuffs were also donated for sale to help raise a substantial amount to complete the project. An amount of GHC13,000 was raised at the end of the day. 

Speaking to JoyNews, an opinion leader in the community, Wisdom Awude, lauded the efforts of the residents.

He also used the opportunity to warn the youth against the use of illicit drugs. 

“The use of illicit drugs won’t guarantee you a better future. You won’t be of benefit to your family or the community. I am therefore requesting that the traditional authorities take this up, invite and counsel the children against jeopardizing their life", he said.

Community members also appealed to benevolent individuals and organizations to extend their support for the project.