As trapped by poverty, Chu Mas, the youngest in a family of 6, had no chance for almost a year to apply her weaving skill obtained from a 6-month vocational training course supported by LWF Cambodia.
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After she successfully completed the course in late 2007, she managed to start her weaving business to generate income for supporting her family. But, she could not make it because she has no money to buy weaving equipments which cost about US$200. They included a loom, a thread spinner, and thread.
In late 2008, her mother sold some of her rice and borrowed US$200 from her relative to buy the equipments. But, they were not available at the market. Then, Mas’s oldest brother decided to make the loom and the spinner by himself. He copied the sample of the equipments at the Women Development Center where Mas graduated. He spent a month making a semi-automatic loom and a spinner for his sister.
In early 2009, Mas started her new weaving business. Her primary customer group is the villagers in her village. Her main product is a medium-sized cotton scarf (sized 1.5m by 0.45m).
Scarves or Krama in Khmer language are popular among Cambodians, especially the rural people. They are used for many purposes including for style, protection from the sun, a hammock for infants, a towel or a bathing garment, and so on. Beyond these,Krama has its special added value for Cambodian Cham. Men and women wind around or cover their heads with Kramas to mark their Muslim Cham ethnic culture. Each of them owns at least 3 or 4 Kramas.
Mas said that her business is good. A scarf costs 4,700 riels (US$1.10), including labor cost. She charges her customers 6,000 riels (US$1.41) per scarf. She can weave 3 scarves on average per day. Her sale volume varies seasonally. Orders increase during the dry season when there are festivities such as weddings, religious ceremonies, parties and so on. During this period, her peak sale is 50 scarves per month.
In 2009, Mas received for the first time a special order of more than 100 scarves placed by Australian Lutheran World Service through LWF Cambodia. In 2010, LWF/DWS ordered from her 500 larger sized scarves—the biggest order of the year. Four hundred of them were shipped to Stuttgart in Germany for distributing to participants who will be attending LWF’s Eleventh Assembly from 20 – 27 July 2010, while the rest was shipped to LWF/DWS Headquarters in Geneva.
“These two big orders are a strong encouragement and support to my business,” said Mas, who dropped school at grade 3.
“This business is very important for my family. If we do not have this business, our lives will be in difficulties,” she said.
“Before having this business, my mother sells some of her rice stock and takes the money for buying vegetables, meat, and other household utilities,” she said. But now her mother doesn’t sell rice for this purpose any more. Earnings from Mas’s business can cover all these.
Though this year her sale is at peak, she expresses some concerns over the transaction in the future. “Local orders placed by my village mates are very small and are getting decreased as now most of them have my Kramas,” she said, assuring that her Kramas have higher quality and last longer than scarves sold at some local markets. However, her products cannot compete with the others’ on price.
Mas is still single. She lives with her mother at Svay Ph’aem village, Svay commune, Sameakki Meachey district in Kampong Chhnang province. Her father died since she was a child.
Mas is the only weaver in her village. She said most of her villagers want to learn this skill from her. She also wants to transfer her skill to them, but she does not have additional looms for them to practice. In mid 2009, she taught her sister-in-law this weaving skill for nearly a year. Now, her sister-in-law is running her own weaving business at Trapaing Thmor Village, Chhean Loeung Commune of the same district.
For more information, please contact:
LEAK Ratna (Mr.)
Communications Coordinator, LWD
E-mail: ratna@lwd.org.kh
Tel: 012 819 121