Accra: The youth of Anlo in the Volta Region are eagerly anticipating the 2025 edition of Anlo’s Hogbetsotso health walk, an annual event that promotes health and wellness among the people.
According to Ghana News Agency, this year’s Hogbetsotso health walk is expected to be bigger and better, with more participants and exciting activities which would likely feature music, dance, and aerobic exercises to promote physical activity and healthy living among the youth. Mr. Selorm Shadrach Zormelo, a citizen of Anlo, in an interview with the agency, said that last year’s health walk was successful with over thousands of participants, including traditional leaders, government officials, and other citizens.
‘This is an annual event that has become part of Hogbetsotso festival celebration; the walk is always organised by the Hogbetsotso festival planning committee in collaboration with Keta-based Jubilee Radio and other partners,’ he said. He explained that youths of Anlo land were enthusiastic about the upcoming health walk and festival celebrations and viewed the occasion as a means and an opportunity to promote peace, unity, health, culture, and community development for progress.
He added that the Anlo Hogbetsotso festival had previously provided a platform for development dialogues, for stakeholders to discuss key issues in areas such as agriculture, education, sports, youth empowerment programmes, and other issues that affected the communities within the 36 States of Anloland. ‘I know for sure that this year’s Hogbetsotso health walk will be a memorable one. Last year it was superb, this year, it is going to be a super mega, which will be unforgettable.’
Many other youths, with whom GNA interacted, have expressed optimism and high hope for an exciting event that would bring many citizens from near and far to promote their health, mental stability, among others. Information gathered by the GNA revealed that the 2025 Hogbetsotso health walk would commence from the premises of Jubilee Radio in Vui to Aborigines Beach Resort on Friday, October 31, at 0500 hours, with the theme, ‘step by step, we celebrate life, health and unity-walking together as one for a brighter tomorrow.’
Some notable dignitaries expected to grace the event include the Awadada of Anlo, Togbi Agbesi Awusu II, assembly members, heads of institutions, traditional and religious leaders, and others. The Hogbetsotso festival has been a significant cultural event for the Anlo people to commemorate their migration from Notsie in present-day Togo while the festival also showcases the rich cultural heritage of the people of Anlo and provides opportunities for socialization, entertainment, reconciliation, and community engagement.
The festival would culminate in a grand durbar on Saturday, November 1, at Anloga, Hogbe Park, where the public would gather and exhibit the rich cultural heritage of the Anlo people. The 2025 Hogbetsotso health walk and the festival promised to be an exciting and enriching experience for all participants with the focus on unity, development, and cultural heritage to attract visitors from across the region. This year’s celebration is on the theme ‘Building Bridges: From Common History to Common Destiny,’ emphasizing unity and collective progress.