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: 29 December 2021.

What is your name?

Francis Nyavↄ Ameɖoɖa.

How old are you?

57 years.

Where do you live?

Akashito.

What is your major occupation?

I am a fitting mechanic.

Are you a kete weaver?

Yes.

How long have you been weaving?

About 20 years.

Why did you adopt kete weaving as a major occupation?

I chose kete weaving from my infancy in order to raise money to educate myself and after that I used it to learn the trade of fitting mechanic.

How did you learn the craft?

I was taught by my late father.

What type(s) of kete do you weave?

Kpeɖo, Afevↄ-haliwoe 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.

The customer buys the yarn for me and after the work is done, the customer pays my workmanship.

What raw materials do you use in weaving?

Polyester, cotton and dye-yarn.

How do you acquire the yarn for kete weaving?

I buy the yarn at Agbozume market.

Do you use the yarn kadada in weaving?

No, I do not know much about kadada.

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

I do amagba (leaf).

Why do you adopt that design?

That is what customers prefer.

How did you get to know the design?

I learnt it from my father.

How old is the design that you weave in kete?

Very old, about 20 years.

How popular is it? Do people of Agbozume and neighbouring areas wear kete with that design?

Very popular, but only foreigners used it; people at Agbozume do not use it.

Do you know any women weavers? 

Yes, Mary Ameɖoɖa; she has been in the business for the past 30 years.

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

Yes, at places like Klikpekorpe and Kashito.

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

It is because foreigners continue to patronize our products and that is why the business still exists.

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

It is a free market. Every kete weaver can sell their products there. Its proximity to weavers also reduced the stress of travelling long distance to sell their products.