Tanimbar woven cloth is back

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.