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.