Hands-On Activities on Dagomba Bim' Maŋli Production among Elective Class Students in E.P College of Education, Bimbilla, Ghana

Abstract

The study aimed at providing teacher trainees in Evangelical Presbyterian College of Education, Bimbilla, Ghana to learn how to produce the Dagombas' Bim' maÅ‹li cloth as a requisite requirement for their second semester course of study on Weaving and Stitching. For the purpose of this article, the word ‘smock' is referred to as Bim'maÅ‹li in the context of the Dagombas' culture. The study also aimed at fostering creative entrepreneurial skills in the teacher trainee to be able to generate Bim'maÅ‹li weaving enterprises as a supplement to their teaching profession. A total of 86elective class students and 10 traditional Bim'maÅ‹li weavers among the Dagombas were selected by the use of purposive sampling technique. The 86 teacher trainees were guided on how to prepare yarns on bobbins for warping and finally mount the warp beam on the Dagombas' traditional loom for weaving the Bim'maÅ‹li. Interviews were conducted among the 86 teacher trainees to acquire data on the students' demography and their previous requisite skills in the weaving of any traditional cloth in Ghana which include kente, kete and the Bim'maÅ‹li. Observation was used to obtain data by noting down teacher trainees' interactions with the loom and its accessories. Observation was again used to take notice of the nature of woven Bim'maÅ‹li cloth by the teacher trainees. Findings revealed that majority of the teacher trainees did not have prerequisite knowledge or skills in weaving of any traditional cloth in Ghana. Interview granted to 10 traditional Bim'maÅ‹li weavers indicated that the weaving of the Bim'maÅ‹liwas practiced among males and females in the olden days.However, males were and have been the majority of weavers. Majority of the teacher trainees were Dagombashence they had some knowledge regarding the names of the parts and accessories of the traditional loomfor weaving the Bim'maÅ‹licloth. The study, therefore, guides the teacher trainees throughout the production processes involved in weaving the Bim'maÅ‹li in Northern Region of Ghana.