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: 24 December 2021.

What is your name?

Charles Adzevie

How old are you?

I am in my early forties

Where do you live?

Adzeviekope.

What is your major occupation?

Aside my seasonal farming, weaving of kete is my major occupation.

How long have you been weaving?

I have been weaving for the past 30 years.

Why did you choose kete weaving as your major occupation?

It is the primary occupation in the locality that anybody bred-up here is taught.

How did you learn the craft?

I learnt the craft under the supervision of my uncle, Mr. Yaotsey Amedekanya at Agortorme. I used to spin yarn for him initially. Later, I was taught how to set warp and how it is fixed it into the heddle and beater. Then, I was only allowed to weave avⴢtsidzi, remnants of the warp. Upon mastering that, I was taught how to pick designs.

What type(s) of kete do you weave?

I weave kpe-evee, wⴢgagba, wⴢnutuvi, aƒevⴢ, silk.

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

I occasionally weave ordered cloth, but mostly I sell my kete at Agbozume market.

If you weave on order, describe the process.

After an agreement is reached over the price of the cloth, I am given more than half of the money to get the materials for the work. When I finish producing the cloth, I take the rest of the money and the customer collects the cloth.

What raw materials do you use in weaving?

I use cotton, shine and silk as warp; cotton as weft, and rayon as design weft.

How do you acquire the yarn for kete weaving?

I buy it at Agbozume market.

Do you use the yarn kadada in weaving?

I use kadada especially when I am weaving any aƒevⴢ which requires it.

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

wⴢgagba – atrakpui (building step) with amper

kpe-evee

I don’t know the name

Ecomog (above)

Why do you adopt those designs?

They are very simple and attractive to buyers.

How did you get to know the designs and patterns?

I got them from friends.

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

Over twenty years.

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

Many weavers use them. Because they are familiar with the cloth, only a few people use them for important ceremonies such as weddings and graduations.

Have you invented any design or pattern in kete?

Yes, a customer wanted a design that looks like ɖⴢtsiba (fishing-net mending stick) and safui (door key) done in the cloth. I had the design in mind. As I tried to pick the patterns, I compared what I was doing with what I had in mind and if there is any deviation, I do the correction. As I proceeded, I kept correcting the mistakes until I was able to pick the pattern I had formed in mind. The customer expressed satisfaction and I wove a pair of cloth for him. This happened in 1996 there about. I have not kept a sample down.

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

Yes, at Agbodokope, sonuto, Avata, Akaglakope and other places.

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

Any time the shine (the yarn) set in the cloth cuts out, it leads to waste of precious time in order to re-join it. There is nothing I could do than to be careful.

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

There is the problem of frequent increase in the price of yarn, without corresponding appreciation of kete. And, middlemen (Bojaboja) have hijacked the market such that buyers give them money to buy cloth for them. In the process, bojaboja cheat weavers by underpricing the cloth.

 In your opinion, how should those problems be resolved?

Opinion leaders, chiefs and our MPs should intervene so as to maintain stable price of the yarn.

Bojaboja should be eliminated from the system so that the buyer may deal with the weavers directly.

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

It is a major occupation established by our forebears from generation to generation; it is a kind of inheritance.

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

It saves us from travelling afar to get our raw materials and we also interact with other actors in the industry.