Touring Adanwomase, a village that specializes in weaving traditional Ghanaian Kente cloth and growing Cocoa with Kat, Morgan and Nate – May 9, 2013
VISITOR CENTER
Kat drove the four of us in her land rover and we found our way to the village without any problem. Soon enough we were seated in the visitor center while our guide, Raphael demonstrated the skein winder. Behind him a man prepared cotton thread for the loom, using his teeth to cut the thread.
SKEIN WINDERS
Morgan and Nate try their hand at winding the cotton thread onto the bobbin using the skein winder.
THE NEXT STEP
Raphael then took us outside and demonstrated the process of making a multi colored skein which involved walking back and forth between two points with a bobbin holder. Camille gave it a try. Nate, Morgan and Kat listen to Raphael explain the process.
LOOMS
The weaving is done on narrow looms. Long, four-inch strips are woven with lightning-fast fingers and later sewn together to make the rich fabric. Children begin learning the craft when they are six and are able to weave Kente by the time they are eight years old.
COCOA FARM
Asanwomase Village’s other cash crop is cocoa, so off we went to learn about the pod behind our chocolate addiction.
FLOWERS AND FRUIT
As with any tree, first there are flowers and then there is fruit. The cacao pods grow right out of the trunk and turn from green to yellow. Raphael opened a yellow pod by cracking it against a tree trunk and then twisting off the top.
FRESH OR DRIED
We each ate a few of the cocoa beans in their white, citrus-flavored outer covering. The bean inside was slightly bitter and more crunchy than chewy. We’ve heard that the fresh beans are full of vitamins. Back out onto the village street, Raphael showed us a pile of beans drying in the sun atop a bamboo screen. As they dry, they become more bitter.
DRESS UP
Back at the visitor’s center, Raphael showed us how to wrap the Kente and then starting with Nate, dressed us up.
KENTE MODEL
Camille gets the Queen Mother look, complete with head wrap.
ROYALTY
Before we knew it, Kat had joined our royal line wearing a piece of beautiful purple Kente.
PATTERNS
We learned that each pattern has a meaning. The pattern on the left means something like “There is a great woman behind every great man.” Camille bought two yards of the pattern on the right because of its rich, traditional colors.
KENTE SHOP AND THE RESULTS
Next stop – the Kente shop where Kat, Morgan and Camille each chose some fabric to take home. It was tough to choose the right pattern but at the end of the day, we did well. Morgan purchased a lively pattern in green and purple. Kat chose a beautiful red and pink pattern which she had made into a stunning dress. Needless to say, Camille now has Kat’s seamstress programmed into her cell phone!!!
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