The Jakarta Post, October 01, 2005
Tanimbar woven cloth is back
As security returns to normal in Maluku after years of bloody sectarian violence, there
has slowly been a business revival as companies reopen their doors. This revival has
included the Tanimbar cloth weaving industry, which was devastated by the conflict.
Fien Masela, the owner of a Tanimbar weaving company, shared her experiences in
building up her business with The Jakarta Post's Azis Tunny. This is the second story
on Tanimbar cloth, with the first story having appeared on Friday.
Fien Masela runs the small fabric weaving company Lusila, which she started with
just Rp 900,000 (about US$90). Employing 70 weavers, the company has a monthly
turnover of between Rp 6 million and Rp 12 million.
That amount might not seem significant, but Fien has been able to create job
opportunities for dozens of people in the area.
She said the company's turnover was nominal because sales were still limited to civil
servants and officials. The sectarian conflict between 1999 and 2002 in Ambon had a
devastating effect on the tourist sector, which in turn nearly destroyed the traditional
woven cloth industry.
Fien was inspired to start her business during a fund-raising event to build a church in
her hometown of South Tanimbar in West Southeast Maluku regency in 1996. During
the event, residents donated pieces of traditional woven cloth, or ikat, to raise funds.
So with start-up capital of Rp 900,000 from her family, Fien established Lusila.
"I became seriously involved in the business in 1998, after my parents' retired from the
company. It would have really thrived if not for the conflict, because many foreign
tourists were interested in woven fabric. After the violence began, sales slumped
because tourists were not allowed to visit Ambon," Fien told The Jakarta Post
recently at her boutique in Ambon.
Now, as security in Maluku improves, the woven cloth industry has begun to thrive
and Fien now has 70 employees working at her workshops in Tanimbar and Ambon.
Although most of her employees work in Tanimbar, she concentrates her business in
Ambon. She said the great thing about the business was that it allowed her to
preserve local culture while at the same time creating jobs for the community.
Fien provides the weavers with all the materials they need, such as yarn and dyes,
and pays them after they have produced the cloth.
She gets her supplies from Surabaya, where there is always a ready supply of raw
materials.
"I am concerned we would be unable to meet large purchase orders if our supplies
were insufficient, and raw materials are hard to find in Maluku," she said.
Tanimbar ikat has frequently represented Maluku in exhibitions, both locally and
nationally. In addition to orders and direct purchases, Lusila also works in cooperation
with a boutique in Jakarta, though demand in the capital remains limited and orders
only come in every three months.
She said it was normal for ikat sales to fluctuate, adding that sales were really good
in certain months when there were more foreign tourists in Ambon.
"A significant number of tourists visit Ambon from June to September, while the low
season is in March and April. The peak season coincides with the holiday season,
during which various celebrations are held in Ambon, such as the Ambon city
anniversary and the Maluku Protestant Church celebration when many tourists from
Europe arrive, especially from the Netherlands," said Fien.
Fien is now exploring possibilities in the Netherlands by establishing business ties
with a Dutch businessman of Maluku descent who visited Ambon recently.
All contents copyright © of The Jakarta Post.
|
