Travelogue: The Weaving Looms of Accra Int. Airport
The lounge of an international airport is the least of places to expect to see a traditional Kente fabric weaver working hard at his loom, spinning yarn after yarn into beautiful patterns of clothes. The departure lounge of the Kotoka Int. Airport Accra, Ghana is one certain place you will find Mr. Kwadwo Asante, 49, busy with both hands and feet on his loom producing traditional kente materials for sale to travelers. A few feet away, nestled between him and an official working desk is an open shop that displays and sells his products to travelers looking to buy authentic Kente fabrics as gifts, souvenirs, and mementos. Mr. Asante at work Mr. Asante’s sisters are the vendors in the shop. “It’s a family trade back in our Kumasi region,” he confirms to me, his eyes shining with pride. He has been in it for 36 years now. “I learned the trade from my father and my 17 year-old son is also into it,” he speaks with a tenor of fulfillment in his voice. Beside