Festival becomes annual

By ZACHERY PER
THE annual Ganigle River Festival will become an annual event on the Tourism and Culture Department calendar, says Culture, Arts and Tourism Minister Tobias Kulang.
Kulang told festival founder Dr Jane Awi and the people of Kerowagi, especially from the Dagle, Kumai, Kamaneku and Siglku tribes that since the event had been successfully staged for the third consecutive year, it would be included in the department’s annual calendar.
Kulang’s message was delivered by National Cultural Commission official Steven Waine to more than 5000 people at the festival which began on Wednesday and ended on Sunday.
Chimbu Governor Noah Kool and some organisations lent their support to the event.
Awi started the festival to unite the people of Dagle, Kumai, Kamaneku and part of Jiwaka sharing the border with Kerowagi district in Chimbu who had gone through  many years of tribal fights and ethnic clashes.
Awi said the event had the potential to draw tourists every year to Chimbu.
Activities included a dog race, tube race, river ball games, touch football, drama, traditional singsing, string band, dances, displays of garden crops, food processing products displays and beauty contests.