Home industries going global

Home industries going global

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Several expatriates seriously observe the jewelry in one of
stands in a one-day bazaar for Christmas season organized by the
Australian-New Zealand Association (ANZA) on Tuesday at JW
Marriott, South Jakarta.

Around 175 Indonesian home industries exhibited their
products, ranging from cakes and breads to shoes, clothes and
handicrafts.

Andrea Cush of ANZA estimated that around 500 expatriates and
foreign housewives living in Jakarta swarmed in the bazaar until
afternoon.

"Visitors come here to buy a whole range of Christmas gifts,
Indonesian handicrafts and lots of different things. We help also
several foundation to be able to sell their products to wider
market," Cush told The Jakarta Post.

Most of vendors are small-scale traditional handicraft makers
that come from several areas in Central and West Java.

Damanhuri, a gemstone maker from Sukabumi, West Java,
expressed his relief as he could sell 50 products until nearly
the closing of the bazaar.

As an expatriate was approaching his lot and looked very
interested in one of his products, Damanhuri was quick to take
initiative to explain to the lady, although in a broken English,
all about his products.

Only in several seconds a hand-made gemstone chess changed
hands for Rp 175,000 (US$19.4).

"I brought all of my merchandises straight from Sukabumi.
Although we have to pay Rp 300,000 for the spot in the bazaar,
the profit can compensate it," he told the Post.

He added that his main objective was to promote his
merchandises through several regular expatriate bazaar in Jakarta
held by embassies, international schools and other expat
communities while hoping that through the expatriates he can
reach out into Australian, European, the U.S markets.