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?

Robert Kwabla Ocloo.

How old are you?

31 years.

Where do you live?

Ɖatekↄfe.

What is your major occupation?

I am a professional Referee.

Are you a kete weaver?

Yes.

How long have you been weaving?

20 years.

Why did you choose kete weaving as your major occupation?

It is a major occupation in our area.

How did you learn the craft?

I learnt it from his father, uncles and brothers.

What type(s) of kete do you weave?

Nyamekwa, “executive,” Afevↄ, 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.

After the agreement on the type of cloth and design, I will collect part-payment from my customer, and when I complete the work, the rest of the money is paid.

What raw materials do you use in weaving?

Yarn: cotton, miran and kadada.

How do you acquire the yarn for kete weaving?

I buy them from retail stores at Agbozume.

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

Fiazikpui and ataŋkayi.

Why do you adopt those designs?

They are attractive.

How did you get to know the designs and patterns?

Through WhatsApp and from friends.

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

Over 15 years.

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

They are popular, but people around Agbozume do not wear them.

Have you invented any design or pattern in kete? If so, how did you do it? In which year?

Yes. I did it from my imagination in 2018. I decided to invent a new design; the idea just came and I was able to bring out three different blue prints or sketches. After that I invited some of my colleagues to look at them. There is this particular one that everyone chooses and I gave it the name Mawuƒemↄ (God’s way). The first time I sent about ten of the cloths of that design to the market, customers bought all of them. From there many other weavers adopted it and it is still trending in the market today. Even when you go to Kumasi my design is in the market. Unfortunately, I do not keep a sample of the design.

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

There are a lot of new designs in the system now. Whenever a new design is brought to the market, other weavers rush on them and after some few months the design begins to drop in value. In my opinion, many people do not want to take the initiative; they rather rely on other people to bring new innovations for them to adopt.