By Elisabeth Uru Ndaya
Women empowerment is an effort to bring a positive impact on life aspect such as economy, however, discrimination among women still exists, especially in the pandemic because many women are hampered to work. Honestly, many women with soft competencies and hard skills are not inferior compared to men if they are empowered. Women with their abilities can be the key for the potential-creative businesses such as woven fabric craft to improve family welfare, or enable young women to get their right to participate in managing the benefits of Sumba culture resources.
Stube-HEMAT Multiplication program in Sumba, especially in the congregation of Sumba Christian Church (GKS) Karunggu, Tanatuku village, Nggaha Ori Angu sub-district, encourages young women to be able to continue working on cultural heritage. In early 2021, the Stube-HEMAT weaving group met and discussed at weaving home led by Elisabeth Uru Ndaya as the program companion and Multiplicator of Stube-HEMAT in Sumba. Some important points discussed for the next 6 months activities are: 1) preparation of planting land for natural dyes such as tilapia (Wora), and mengkudu (kombu) trees; 2) preparation of coloring and weaving yarn that has been designed; 3) preparation to collect all motifs of tied-woven fabric throughout Sumba; 4) follow up activity to prospect the support of the head of the Women's Empowerment office for 50 balls of threads and search network with the industry office and other institutions.
This discussion was not only discussing the program but also sharing about locust pests that destroyed their gardens. Todays, locust pests are very unsettling for farmers. Many plants on their garden are eaten by locust pests. Most of the participants of the weaving group felt the impact and told their struggle to repel the locust pests. Many ways have been done but there is no result yet. It is terrible, not until 30 minutes, the flowering corn or rice in the garden and fields are eaten up instantly. "When locust pests entered my garden, I was bringing my kid to the health center and when I returned, I immediately went to the garden. Getting there, I was shocked by the view because what I saw was no longer corn plant but locust, from roots to corn shoots full of locusts. My body immediately faint and I had no more energy to banish it, the locusts are so many. I could only cry," said Asri, one of the participants.
It can be understood that the participants are so sad when the plants of their garden are attacked by locust pests, because their real livelihoods are from their field and garden harvests. Gardens and fields have been feeding them to survive. If something bad happens on their farm, then it will adversely affect their next welfare. Therefore, with the presence of this weaving program, it gives hopes to open a creative business through woven fabrics. Keep spirit the group and continue doing activities of today's life! ***
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