Kente Weaving in Adanwomase

This weekend, we journeyed four hours from Accra to the Kumasi region to dig deeper into Ghanaian culture. As we entered the Adanwomase village we noticed many shops adorned in beautiful and intricate Kente cloth and we had the opportunity to see and try the process for ourselves. Kente cloth was originally a royal cloth reserved for special occasions but over time has transformed into a medium of communication. Every design has its own meaning, ranging from expressing a mood to honoring momentous occasions. Kente cloth is now used for clothing, head wraps, shoes, backpacks, you name it! Kente cloth is made from cotton, silk, and yarn and while every community has their own method of weaving, the Adanwomase village showed us their weaving method and let us practice weaving ourselves! Students practiced a simple weave, which despite the name took a lot of concentration and focus. We then watched the men in the village do more complex weaving with many different colors which can take up to 24 hours of work to complete one strip of Kente cloth. It was amazing to take part in trying a cultural practice that is so integral to their community. As we interacted more with the Adanwomase village we had the opportunity to continue our cultural exchange with another community engagement practice; dance! We were invited to a drumming and dancing ceremony where we not only did some local dances, but we were able to share some of our cultural dances from the US, including the Cha-Cha slide and Cotton Eye Joe. The students left the experience having a deeper understanding and appreciation for Ghanaian culture.