Displaced Aceh women turn to hobby of traditional embroidery
Displaced Aceh women turn to hobby of traditional embroidery
Martin Abbugao, Agence France-Presse/Cot Selamat, Aceh
Since moving into a crowded tent that has been her home for the past three weeks, tsunami victim Ratna remains haunted by the giant waves that suddenly swept away her home and family.
But Ratna and about 50 other women from her obliterated neighborhood hope to exorcise the demons by turning to their hobby before the calamity struck -- doing traditional embroidery.
A non-government group helping in the relief work in the Indonesian town of Meulaboh and its surrounding areas discovered women in Cot Selamat used to do handcrafted colorful embroideries while their husbands worked.
The group decided to help the women by buying the materials so they could be occupied during their free time in the military- issued tent evacuation center, and at the same time earn some income.
"I'm so happy to be doing this again," said Ratna, 36, who lost her husband, child and six other family members.
"If I just sit and do nothing, I just think about the tsunami. If I can do something while sitting here in the tent, then maybe I will forget. It's like recreation for me to wipe out the bad memories."
Her former neighbor, 30-year-old Caslena Dewi, agreed, and also pointed to the financial incentive.
"If we do this, we will make money, we will sell it," she said.
While weaving in Indonesia's tsunami-devastated Aceh province is a slowly disappearing tradition, embroidery remains embedded in the people as an art, especially in the towns of Meulaboh, Sigli and Banda Aceh, according to residents.
The women in Cot Selamat produce some of the best embroideries on Aceh's west coast, the residents here claim.
Metallic thread of various colors -- gold is a favorite -- are embroidered on a piece of cloth following a certain design.
The finished work has an array of uses from pillow covers to wall and ceiling decorations. It is also a favorite backdrop for Muslim wedding ceremonies.
The handcrafted product is enhanced by framing and decorating it with sequins and beads.
There can be various motifs that highlight intricate patterns and curves traditional to the region.
Some themes show flowers and peacocks, while others may feature a mosque, Muslim calligraphy or a traditional house. "It depends on what the customer wants," Ratna said, managing a rare smile.
A handcrafted product can be done in 10 to 15 days, but can take many weeks if they are bigger.
The Cot Selamat women are looking forward to selling their products, hoping to buy additional food to supplement the daily ration of rice and noodles from the government.
"In our former community, we sold some of our products to supplement our husbands' income. Now, we just want to have some money to rebuild our lives and our homes," Dewi said.
Apart from having no cash, the women said materials were no longer available in Meulaboh, the biggest Indonesian town nearest to the epicenter of the quake that triggered the tsunami.
About a third of Meulaboh's population was killed by monstrous waves on December 26 and a large portion of the town was pulverized by the onslaught.
Thousands more people now live in crowded evacuation centers, most of them without proper sanitation facilities.
Embroidery materials are available only in Medan, another Indonesian city 10 hours away by car, so they are more expensive.