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: 27 December 2021.

What is your name?

John Ede Amemor.

How old are you?

48 years.

Where do you live?

Atiʋuta.

What is your major occupation?

Driving is my profession but owing to circumstances beyond my control I have stopped driving and decided to take up kete weaving as my major occupation.

How long have you been weaving?

30 years.

Why did you choose kete weaving as your major occupation?

It is the only source of employment in my local area.

How did you learn the craft?

I learnt it from my father. Initially he made me start spinning yarn for him. Then after that, whenever he was taking a rest, he would ask me to try weaving. That was how I started it, bit by bit till I became perfect in it.

What type(s) of kete do you weave?

Takpekpe le Anloga; I also write sentences in them. Others include “free education,” and kpe-evee vↄ.

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

I do both.

If you weave on order, describe the process.

I usually demand full payment before I buy the materials and start the job.

What raw materials do you use in weaving?

Yarn: cotton and miran.

How do you acquire the yarn for kete weaving?

I buy it at Agbozume market.

Do you use the yarn kadada in weaving?

Yes.

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

“Free education,” and writing design.

Why do you adopt those designs?

They are new.

How did you get to know the designs and patterns?

I got them from my customers.

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

About 3 years.

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

Very popular, and people around Agbozume wear them.

Have you invented any design or pattern in kete?

Yes, I invented the design in the year 2015. It takes the form of adinkra symbol among Akans. So, I named it adinkra.  It all started one day I saw a design in a newspaper and I decided to try it in my artwork (kete). In the first place, I sketch it on paper and then I began to weave it in my kete. On getting to the market for the first time, the first buyer I met at the entrance bought it instantly and I did not waste time that day in the market. Then after, few orders came which I did for that same customer. Many other weavers also adopted this design and as I speak it is still trending in the market.

Amevor’s invention: adinkra.

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

The market demands the type of design and pattern to weave. Sometimes, when a new design comes to the market you will observe that majority of weavers adopt it and within a year that design begins to fade.

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

Yes, places like Atsiʋuta and Nogokpo.

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

It is part of our culture. It is also one of the major occupations in our area.