Let’s teach Kente weaving in schools …Tourism Minister advises

In a bid to preserve and promote Kente, the government has taken significant steps to collaborate with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to highlight its cultural trend.

In view of this, a dossier has been submitted to secure Kente’s recognition as an intangible cultural heritage by December, this year.

Additionally, it has emerged that the government was determined to integrate Kente weaving into Ghana’s educational framework to create employment opportunities for aspiring artisans, preserve its cultural heritage, and boost Ghana’s tourism potential.

The Minister for Tourism, Mr Andrews Egyapa-Mercer, who dropped the hint, stated that although the Kente cloth was admired all over the world, the stories and craftsmanship behind it were often overlooked, and that education could play a crucial role in addressing that gap.

“To create this awareness, we must integrate Kente weaving into our school curriculum”, he said, adding that “teaching students about the history, symbolism and artistry of Kente will foster a sense of pride and ownership of our cultural heritage”

He was speaking at the grand durbar of the Bonwire Kente festival 2024, held at Bonwire in the Ashanti Region last week.

Under the theme, ‘Sustaining the Kente Heritage Through Education,” the event attracted several dignitaries including public officials, celebrities, traditional leaders, natives of Bonwire and nearby communities, and some visitors from the diaspora.

It was quite a colourful event where the wearing of Kente was obvious.

According to the Minister, when young people understood and appreciated the heritage, they would be more likely to take pride in it and pass it on, and the empowerment could lead to several positive outcomes.

He then encouraged local artisans and weavers to share their knowledge and skills with the youth through workshops and demonstration, for them to appreciate the intricacies of Kente weaving.

On his part, the chief of Bonwire, Nana Bobie Ansah II, praised the government for the huge infrastructural investment in their communities which had impacted favourably on their economic activities.

Moreover, he said aside the building of a court complex, the setting up of a state of the art Kente Museum, and the revamping of the Bonwire Senior High School, it has also completed key access roads within the communities, ensuring easy market access and tourism.

“As you can see for yourselves, the entire major road network in Bonwire and neighbouring communities have all been asphalted”, he said.

From Kingsley E. Hope, Bonwire