Weaving sedge mats is a traditional craft passed from generations to generations...
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| Women in Vinh Thai Commune are weaving sedge mats. |
Weaving sedge mats is a traditional craft passed from generations to generations in Vinh Thai Commune. The job has faced the risk of oblivion by the time for many reasons, including the sharp decrease in the material growing area. Loans are required for sedge mat weaving businesses.
Traditional craft is at risk of oblivion
64-year- old Dang Thi Lo says her family has been attached to the career during 2 generations. All the local families used to grow sedge themselves, so the material supply used to be sufficient.
However, due to urbanization, the growing area for the materials has much decreased and many women have changed to other jobs.
Others have to go to other provinces to buy the materials. They have to face financial difficulties due to low incomes, especially when the material price is soaring.
Pham Thi Nho, 53 years old, complains her family needs money for buying materials. The loan of VND10 million provided by the local women's association, is invested in materials for daily production. More money is needed for stockpiling.
Dang Thi Kim Duyen, Chairperson of Vinh Thai Commune Women's Association says, before 2000, about 70% of the local women made sedge mats. However, since 2000, the craft village has gradually fallen into oblivion with only about 50-60 households continuing with the job.
Capital required for the craft survival
To recover the sedge mat weaving craft, creating jobs for local women, in 2010, the local women's association founded a sedge mat cooperation model with initially 6 households and presently 12. Each person can earn VND1.8-2.5 million a month on average.
There is another sedge mat manufacturing model in the community with higher capacity. However, much higher investment is required with at least 4 machines, VND30-40 million each, compared with only VND5-10 million in total needed for the traditional model.
According to Vinh Thai local Women's Association, about 70 women are unemployed and they want to go back to the traditional craft, but they cannot afford to pay high bank loan interests with their low incomes.
N.T
