AGBOZUME KENTE WEAVERS ASSOCIATION

QUESTIONNAIRE

*For our purpose, Agbozume area comprises Sόme, Klikor and neighbouring Anlo communities.

*The questionnaire relates to former kete weavers and weavers currently practicing the craft.

* The questionnaire was adopted in individual interviews without the presence of other respondents.

* Date of interview: 30 December 2021.

What is your name?

Noah Setsorfia.

How old are you?

42 years.

Where do you live?

Sonuto – Wɔwuikɔfe.

What is your major occupation?

Kete weaving.

How long have you been weaving?

About 30 years.

Why did you choose kete weaving as your major occupation?

Because it is a major source of employment in my area.

How did you learn the craft?

I was taught by my grandfather and my uncles.

What type(s) of kete do you weave?

Kpe-evee vↄ, novi, design kete, aƒevⴢ such as ehianega and takpekpe le Anloga.

Do you weave on order, or you sell the product at Agbozume market?

I do both.

If you weave on order, describe the process.

After the agreement on the type of design and the amount to be paid, an initial payment is done before the job begins. The rest of the money is then paid after the work is completed.

What raw materials do you use in weaving?

Rayon, cotton and silk.

How do you acquire the yarn for kete weaving?

I buy it at Agbozume market and sometimes from retail stores around Sonuto.

Do you use the yarn kadada in weaving?

Yes.

What types of designs and patterns do you weave in kete?

Damax, ʋↄgbaze, 88 and Bullet.

Why do you adopt those designs?

They are the preferred choices of my customers.

How did you get to know the designs and patterns?

I got them from my friends.

How old are those designs and patterns that you weave in kete?

They are not really old, about a year and over.

How popular are they? Do people of Agbozume and neighbouring areas wear kete with those designs and patterns?

Not really popular, but people around these areas wear them.

Have you invented any design or pattern in kete?

Yes. I invented the design in the year 2015. One time I was returning from Nigeria, and when I reached Benin Republic, I saw taku (a scarf) which looks very beautiful so I took a photo of it with my mobile phone. On my return, I sketched it on paper and wove it in my kete. That was how I invented my new design. I gave it the name bullet. The first time I sent it to the market, customers liked it and demanded more.  My colleague weavers also adopted this design and as at today it is still trending.

Noah Setsorfia’s invention: bullet

Do you know any women weavers?

Yes, Judith Setsorfia; she has been weaving for about 12 years. Also, Gifty Adzi of Sonuto; she has been in the business for about 2-3 years.

What should we know about kete designs and patterns and their development over the years in Agbozume?

For some time now new designs have appeared in our industry. Some spread from Kumasi and others from Nigeria. A typical example of a design from Kumasi is Kuffour; this design came at the time former president John Agyekum Kuffour became the president of our country, Ghana. Damax also came from Nigeria and was in existence for some years now. The point now is that whenever new designs arrive, the demand begins to grow and after few years it goes down, so we have to look up for new ones.

Is kpe-evee vɔ woven today in Agbozume and neighbouring areas?

Yes, at places like Sonuto, Tacksconer and Srohume.

In your opinion, what is the difference between kete woven today in Agbozume and Asante kente?

In Asante kente weaving, they use what we called crutch which does not apply to Agbozume kete. The crutch is a form of afↄké (pedal) which is different from the two original ones, totalling four (4). Then also, the type of yarn used in weaving Asante kente is different from that of Agbozume kete; Asanteka is used in Asante kente.

What challenges do you face in practicing your craft? How do you deal with them?

Lack of capital to start the work during situations where customers demand for the work to be done before the money is received.

Are there any obstacles discouraging the kete industry in Agbozume area?

The issue of frequent increase in the prices of materials especially cotton yarn. This is a major problem which is frustrating us, making it very difficult for us to break even at times.

Also, the canker of middlemen called bojaboja; these men negotiate with customers in the market whenever we want to sell our products. By so doing, they exploit the language barrier between customers and weavers, and end up in extorting kete weavers to enrich themselves. Most of them made a lot of fortune from this extortion.

In your opinion, how should those problems be resolved?

Firstly, these bojamen should be kicked out of the market system. Secondly, government should step in and stabilize the price of yarn for us to make profit.

Why do you think the kete industry in Agbozume and neighbouring areas has survived up till now?

It is because kete business is one of the main sources of employment and livelihood for majority of people in these areas; that is why it is still surviving.