Name crafts to preserve them — Regional minister

The Upper West Regional Minister, Charles Lwanga Puozuing, has appealed to traditional authorities, designers and cultural enthusiasts to consider giving names to the traditional artifacts such as the handwoven cloths and smocks from the region.

This, he said, would go a long way to help in the preservation of the cultural heritage of the people and also immortalise those behind the innovations.

“In this regard, cultural knowledge and values are transmitted from one generation to the next woori festival,” he said.

He said assigning names to the traditional garment would help to preserve its cultural significance and promote Ghanaian identity and “when our children learn the names and significance of these traditional garments, they develop a deeper appreciation for their heritage.

“The smock for example is an iconic symbol of northern culture, attracting tourists and supporting local artisans,” he said.

Woori festival

Mr Puozuing made the call at the fifth edition of the Woori Festival at Loho in the Nadowli-Kaleo District on the theme: “The Role of Collaboration in Harnessing the Potential of Weaving for Socio-economic Development” and was organised by the Nubuke Foundation.

The regional minister expressed his gratitude to the organisers of the festival for providing a platform for weavers, artisans and artists from the Upper West Region to exhibit their talents.

The initiative, he said, had preserved the rich cultural heritage of the people and served as a beacon of hope for countless women and youth who “seek economic independence through skills acquisition.”

Skills acquisition

Mr Puozuing said the platform, created by the Nubuke Foundation, was in line with the vision of the government to formulate policies that would foster skills development, women empowerment and job creation.

He said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government “strongly believes that skills training is the backbone of sustainable economic growth.”

As a result, he said the government was determined to channel a significant amount of resources to Vocational and Technical Education and Training (TVET), as well as apprenticeship programmes aimed at equipping the people, particularly the youth and women with relevant skills to thrive in today’s economy.

Appreciation

The Director of the Nubuke Foundation, Odile Tevie, was grateful to traditional authorities and the weavers from the region for always responding to the call to take part in the festival.

She said through the festival last year, two designers were invited to take part in a fashion show in Accra, thus accessing a bigger platform to exhibit their craft.

In spite of the progress made in the sector, she said there were still challenges facing weavers such as supply, quality of looms and access to training, adding “it is clear this is a multisectoral approach that is needed.”

About the festival

The Nubuke Foundation Centre for Textiles and Clay at Loho has been hosting the Woori Festival which serves as a platform for weavers, artists, filmmakers and experts in the industry to interact and share ideas.

The festival is also used to showcase some of the crafts from the weavers and potters mainly from the Upper West Region.

Activities held during the festival include seminars, talks, film screenings, exhibitions among others.