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: 23 December 2021.

What is your name?

Atsu Sikakpe.

How old are you?

74 years.

Where do you live?

Dogbekope.

What is your major occupation?

Weaving is my main occupation apart from basket weaving and the seasonal fishing.

How long have you been weaving?

I have been weaving for over 35 years. I was only eleven years when I started weaving. I left Ghana to Ivory Coast in the early 1980s and came back in 2016. Upon my return, I am still weaving.

Why did you choose kete weaving as your major occupation?

You see, it is a craft that is being done in my locality and I also take it up to preserve it. Also, it is a profitable business.

How did you learn the craft?

I learnt it through observation; I developed interest in it and put into practice what I had observed weavers do.

What type(s) of kete do you weave?

Plain weave (aƒevⴢ), design cloth, togodo, kpe-evee etc. I don’t have many of the samples except those that I am weaving now.

Nyamekwa

Kpekui

Hotsui

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

I weave both for sale at the market and on order.  Now, I also weave on contract, avⴢdⴢdoe.

If you weave on order, describe the process.

For the ordered one, I am given the money to buy the materials, after I had bargained with the buyer. When work is complete, the rest of the money, which is my weaving fee, is given to me and the cloth is delivered to the owner. However, for avⴢdⴢdoe, raw material and weaving fee are given out for the work to be done or part of the weaving fee is given out and when work is completed the remainder of the money is paid and the owner adzⴢvɔtⴢ takes the kete.

What raw materials do you use in weaving?

In the past, I used aƒeɖeti, but now I use cotton and rayon.

How do you acquire the yarn for kete weaving?

I buy it from retail-yarn store at Agbozume.

Do you use the yarn kadada in weaving?

Yes, usually when I am weaving aƒevⴢ. I even know how to twist kadada/kabali by myself.

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

Hotsui/hokui

Kpekui

Why do you adopt those designs?

They are the ones in high demand.

How did you get to know the designs and patterns?

Through friends and WhatsApp. Sometimes, the person I weave for gives me the sample to pick in the cloth.

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

For some of them, I started weaving them for over a year now.

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

They are popular because they are woven in most communities. In the past, the patronage was not high but now it is picking up bit by bit. These days you see people wearing it to church, engagement ceremonies etc.

Have you invented any design or pattern in kete?

Yes, it is over 58 years ago. Out of interest, I decided to create a design and I invented agbadze (traditional sieve). I had the design at the back of my mind and I set out to pick it. Because I already knew the basics of picking design, it was not difficult for me to do it. After picking it, I used to do it in many kete clothes and I believe it is still being done today by other weavers.  Unfortunately, I do not have the sample now because it has been long ago.

Do you know any women weavers?

Yes, they are Vida Togoo Sikakpe, Gbashie Sikakpe and Beauty Sikakpe.

Since I got to know them, they have been weaving for over three years.

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

Asante kente has different float designs in the same cloth whilst Agbozume type has the same designs throughout. This means that if there are two types of float designs in Agbozume kete cloth, it is only those two designs that will appear repeatedly in the entire cloth.

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

My challenge is the high cost of yarn. The price of yarn keeps sky rocketing and that is why I have resorted to weaving avⴢdⴢdoe.

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

There is a lot of cheating in weaving avⴢdⴢdoe/adzⴢvⴢ because the weaving fee (the price at which the cloth is given for weaving) is ridiculous. Yarn is also very expensive, but if the cloth is yours and even the yarn is expensive, it is still better than weaving avⴢdⴢdoe/ adzⴢvⴢ.

In your opinion, how should those problems be resolved?

I would appeal for financial support at low interest, between 5 to 10 percent interest on the capital.

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

It is one of the profitable occupations left behind for us by our forefathers.

What is the importance of Agbozume market in the kete industry of southern Volta Region of Ghana?

It is the only place where all actors in the industry meet to interact with each other, being weavers, buyers, and yarn sellers.