The leadership of the Bonwire Traditional area has received GHS7,000 from MTN to boost the celebration of this year’s Kente Festival.

Celebrated in Bonwire, where some say is the origin of the Kente cloth, Kente Festival is an annual event that aims at increasing tourism and sell the unique story of the internationally recognised cloth to patrons.

Since 1998 when it started, every year many people travel from all over the world to come and witness the glorious Kente clothes the Bonwire communities display during the celebrations.

MTN Ghana donated the money together with a hamper as well as air-time valued at 500 Ghana Cedis to the chiefs and elders of Bonwire at a brief ceremony at the chief’s palace.

As part of activities lined-up for the one-week celebration is the beauty pageant called, Miss Kente, where young girls model in different shades of the cloth.

The cloth also sell at discounted prices during the celebration.

MTN partners, ASHCELL Limited is sponsoring the beauty pageant for the ladies of the town with cash prizes for the eventual winner as well as the first and second runner-ups totalling GHC 2, 300.

The donation by the telecom giant is in support of the ongoing Bonwire Kente Festival which climaxes on Sunday with a grand durbar by the chiefs and people of the ancient Ashanti town.

Chief of Bonwire, Nana Kofi Kwarteng, Bonwirehene Kyeame thanked MTN for the gesture.

‘’I, on behalf of the Chief and elders of this town want to thank MTN for this donation and we promise to use the funds and airtime to make this year’s ceremony a memorable one’’, Nana Kwarteng posited.

MTN commercial manager

Addressing the chiefs and elders, Senior Commercial Manager for MTN-Northern Business District, Peter Bimpeh expressed delight that his outfit was supporting the Bonwire kente festival.

The company, he noted believes in the development of brands and items such as the kente cloth so as to make it possible to attract the necessary investments and patronage.

With Kente being a unique cloth, Mr Bimpeh assured the chiefs and people of MTN’s commitment to furthering the partnership it has struck with them in ensuring the cloth generates the necessary interest as well as patronage during the ongoing festival.

‘’We in MTN are committed to partnering with the chiefs and people of this town to make the unique cloth of Kente attract the interests and investments it deserves in this year’s celebration’’, Mr Bimpeh noted.  

Brief history

Giving a brief history of the festival, Assemblyman for Bonwire electoral area, Krobea Asante said the Bonwire Kente festival is in its twentieth year this year.

Mr Asante charged other corporate organizations to take advantage of the festival and donate towards its celebration so that together they can explore the benefits of the Kente cloth.

‘’I am happy MTN has decided to be a part of this awesome festival which showcases all class and designs of the Kente cloth and I believe this relationship will inure to our benefit’’, the assemblyman noted.