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: 3 January 2022.

What is your name?

Ababio Mensah Amekafu Bakoni.

How old are you?

55 years.

Where do you live?

Kpedzakofe.

What is your major occupation?

Kete weaving is my main occupation but I also do farming on seasonal basis.

How long have you been weaving?

I have been weaving kete for over 40 years.

Why did you choose kete weaving as your major occupation?

First it is lucrative. Then also, it is part of our culture; kete is one of our dresses and it portrays who we are and where we are coming from.

How did you learn the craft?

I was taught by my father.

What type(s) of kete do you weave?

Afevↄ such as bishop, fiawoyome, takpekpe le Anlogah and ehianega.

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 kete to weave, the customer pays part of the agreed price to kick start the work and after the job is done the rest of the money is paid.

What raw materials do you use in weaving?

Yarn: cotton, silk and Asanteka (rayon).

How do you acquire the yarn for kete weaving?

I buy it from yarn stores at Agbozume.

Do you use the yarn kadada in weaving?

Yes.

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

Lofodui, sikaba, Dahume, damax, xexi and fiazikpui.

Why do you adopt those designs?

They are the ones customers preferred.

How did you get to know the designs and patterns?

I get them from friends.

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

Some are over 30 years while some are new.

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

They are not popular but people around Agbozume wear them.

Have you invented any design or pattern in kete?

Yes. I invented a new design in the year 2014. I did it based on an old design. I called it Dahume Damlogbedzi. After my innovation I took it to the customer in Accra. She was very excited and ordered few ones that I did for her. Many other weavers adopted that same design and it became very popular. Few people who visited me especially women during the time I was weaving it for the first time ordered some. So, in a nutshell there was a positive feedback after my new innovation.

Above – Bakoni’s invention: Dahume damlogbedzi

Do you know any women weavers? 

Yes, Sister Dzigbↄdi; she has been in the business for the past 10 years

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

There are a lot of new patterns and designs in the system due to the exodus of some of our brothers and sisters to Nigeria and Senegal to practice the job. They came back to introduce some of these new designs to those of us who have not been to those places. These have brought to the system varieties of patterns and designs.

What is klogo?

It is a type of kete cloth. In the warping and heddling process, the yarns are arranged in a unique way and woven using either one or two shuttles. The pattern created during the weaving process resembles tortoise shell (klogo) hence the name. Sometimes, the pattern looks like suklikpe (sugar cubes).

What is togodo?

It comprises pieces of designs in each piece of the weft which if sewn together form a bigger design such as an animal or a human being.

What is kpe-evee vͻ?

It is a two-warp cloth: main warp and subsidiary/floating warp that are set in a loom. The main warp is individually fixed through each eye of a heddle but the floating warp is fixed between each heddle. When this process is complete and the warp is set for weaving, two spaces are created when each of the heddles is opened. The weft is passed through the two spaces: one above the floating warp and the other below the floating warp. The weft is passed through each space a certain number of times depending on the type of pattern you wish to create. Since two drag stones are used, one for the main warp (avⴢdada) and the other for the subsidiary warp (heɖedzi), the name kpe-evee is given to the cloth.

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

Yes, places like Kpedzakope, Sonuto, and Kashito.

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

Prices of raw materials are too expensive, and there is nothing I can do about the issue.

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

Weavers are not well organized and this has brought about division in pricing their products.

Then also frequent increase in prices of materials particularly yarn. These have at times made it difficult for some of us to break even after selling our products.

In your opinion, how should those problems be resolved?

Government should set up a yarn manufacturing factory around Agbozume to help us stay in business.

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

It is lucrative and a major source of livelihood for the people.

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

It has diminished in significance, simply because of the issue of middlemen whose extortion has brought about a lot of misunderstanding and scuffles in the market. This is why majority of weavers no longer deal with the marketplace at Agbozume.