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?

Prince Nuworkpor.

How old are you?

25 years.

Where do you live?

Babanawokope

What is your major occupation?

Kete weaving.

How long have you been weaving?

Over 15 years.

Why did you choose kete weaving as your major occupation?

There is no help from any where for me so this is what I do to finance my education.

How did you learn the craft?

I learnt it from my father and friends

What type(s) of kete do you weave?

Fiawoyome, kpee-evee vor, ehianega, Easter Sunday and “free education.”

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

I do both.

If you weave on order, describe the process.

It depends on the design and how the customer wants it to be. Usually, part of the money is paid before the work begins. The rest of the money is paid after the job is done.

What raw materials do you use in weaving?

Yarn: cotton, rayon, polyester and kadada.

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?

Tekpakpe, gbadzɛ, Makuma Bawomia, Obama, and 88.

Why do you adopt those designs?

They are the types customers like and they are the trending ones.

How did you get to know the designs and patterns?

I learnt them from friends. I also developed some by myself, for example, 88.

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

They have been in existence since 2013-2014.

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

Very popular, but only a few people around Agbozume wear them.

Have you invented any design or pattern in kete?

Yes, basically I did it from my imagination. It is in the form of double eight (88). So, I named it 88. It was based on a previous design invented by another person. I invented it in the year 2017. When I first took it to the market, the customer took it first before any other one. She them directed that I should continue weaving this particular design. Other people from my area also adopted this design and it still trending in the market.

Noworkpor’s design: 88

Do you know any women weavers?

Yes, I know Ernestina Henodzi; she has been weaving for the past 5 years and she lives at Babanawokope.

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

It is because there is no other job for us unless you are well educated and work at the public sector. Kete weaving is what we are doing for now; it is lucrative.