How to Shape your Bolga Basket
A long tradition of basket weaving in Ghana
Starting from a small woven circle, Ghanaian weavers work their way out from a central point to form beautiful, distinctive Bolga baskets. Also called “market baskets,” Bolga baskets are woven from elephant grass. Weavers in the northern region of Bolgatanga excel at transforming the tough grass fiber into these iconic baskets.
Bolga basket weaving has been a traditional skill for many generations and is often a communal process. The Bolga baskets sold by Swahili African Modern are fair trade and a reliable source of income for weavers and their families. Just as the baskets begin as a small circle and expand, so does the impact of purchasing fair trade items that directly benefit, support and empower the artisans who create them.