Bonwire Kente weavers seekfor government support 

Indigenous Kente weavers at Bonwire in the Ejisu Municipality have appealed to the government to support the growth of the Kente industry. According to them, such intervention would help sustain the fabric, which is widely patronised locally and abroad, as a cultural heritage and a national asset and legacy.

The weavers made the appeal through Ms. Amma Prempeh, the Kente Ambassador and producer of Kente documentary film, when she paid a visit to the Bonwire Kente Weaving Centre.

Mr. John Gyamfi, spokesman of the weavers said the industry faces a number of challenges that could only be salvaged by the government to sustain the Kente industry.He mentioned high cost of Weaving thread or yarns as they are imported from China by business outlets hence the soaring prices of the Kente fabric.

Mr. Gyamfi also called on the government to assist weavers to get their patterns and designs patented to avoid foreign entities from using their designs for the manufacture of other fabrics, which compete with the Kente produced locally.

He said weavers would appreciate the establishment of a factory in the locality for the production of Kente and as well import materials for use at the factory to create employment in the area.

Oheneba Osei Darko, a Kente weaver, called for the rehabilitation and expansion of the Bonwire Weaving Centre, which has not seen any rehabilitation since it was built in 1995.

He said the Centre needed an Exhibition Unit to enable the weavers to display their wares to be accessible to tourists and patrons and grow the Kente business. Oheneba Darko said a yarn factory and construction of a workshop and provision of quality looms to serve as a training centre for the youth in the area would help grow the industry.

Agya Charles, suggested to the government to assist the weavers in marketing their products.

According to him, the bad nature of road network from Kumasi through Antoa and other links was not encouraging prospective patrons, particularly tourists, to visit the Centre to access Bonwire Kente.

Meanwhile, Bonwire weavers have jointly donated two Kente stolls to the American president, Donald Trump and his wife through Amma Prempah and extended an invitation to them to visit Ghana and Bonwire.

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