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.