We told Dr. Addai that we wanted to visit the nearby town of Bonwire where Kente is made. Kente is considered one of Ghana's cultural treasures since it is uniquely theirs. To our surprise, he told us that Bonwire is where he and his family live and that his brother, Kojo, is a Kente maker. Kojo trained for more than 10 years as an Kente apprentice and now owns his own Kente business.
Shown here are a few photos taken during our visit to Bonwire. We begin with a photo of Dr. Addai's mother preparing soup for dinner. What a treat it was for us to have met her and several other members of Dr. Addai's family. Others show how Kente is made using weaving machines powered by feet and the quick-moving hand of the Kente maker. We understood why it takes so long to learn how to weave Kente -- this is a labor-intensive process. We purchased several beautiful Kentes to take home as gifts.
Thank you for all your photos and journals. You may have already seen my name and will see it again. I lived and worked in Bonwire, where I met Dr. Addae and continue to suport his efforts. Your pictures make me homesick to return.
ReplyDeleteYour affiliation with CIMS and KNUST is a dream long in the making. There is much work to do, but the results are satisfying and exciting.
Hope to communicate with you further as we travel down this path.
Sala Sweet