woven mats from pandan leaves

From within his house in Gampong Kuala Keurto, Lapang Subdistrict, North Aceh District, Nurhayati (42) sits on the floor without a mat. On the contrary, he was weaving a pandan mat that used to be the seat of the people of Aceh.

Pandan leaves (seuke: Aceh) made Nurhayati as raw material to make mats of various motifs and sizes. He's been in this job for years. He said, in addition to being a livelihood, also continued the local wisdom of her ancestral heritage.

But acknowledged Nurhayati, the process of making pandan mats is not easy as people imagine. It takes days. Beginning with getting raw materials, namely pandan leaves that are still growing.

"If the process of making mats from pandan leaves is a bit tiring. The raw materials referred to, pandan leaves that reach 2 meters long, "he told Mind Merdeka, Friday (16/09/16).

The raw pandan leaves are then cleaned, then dried. Furthermore, said Nurhayati, the dried pandan leaves were slashed or split according to the long groove. Then boiled to soften.

Pandan leaves that have been boiled dried back by drying in the sun. Once dry, colored as desired by dipping it in a dye that has been cooked with hot water.

Nurhayati added, pieces of pandan leaves that have been flat colored, lifted to dry in the sun again. After the drying, then pieces of pandan leaves are woven in accordance with the needs.

He said, he in a week managed to weave a model of pandan mats. Will be marketed if it has collected at least 6 pieces of mat. The process is long and tiring. "However, I have to do this activity because it is my livelihood," said the mother of seven children.

Nurhayati many orders received mats from residents around his residence. He offers varying prices depending on his motives, ranging from Rp150 thousand to Rp270 thousand per mat. Orders usually come from teachers to office workers.

"If the demand is somewhat reduced, then I took the initiative to go around selling mats around Lapang field," he said.

Not just him. Nurhayati said, some of the people of Gampong Kuala Keurto, especially mothers, made the activities of woven mats as a livelihood. The activity has been going on for generations and still exists to this day.

Some of them, he said, have joined the creative craft group, so will get guidance from the Government of North Aceh through the relevant agencies.

"So easy to get equipment and raw materials as needed, but it also can help new ideas from the guidance," said Nurhayati.

He believes woven mats are still needed by the community, both for the purposes of rest and the needs of kenduri especially when someone dies. Buying interest from the community is very high, especially in Lapang District, North Aceh.

"But we are overwhelmed in terms of marketing, so far we are marketing only to the surrounding residents."

Even so, he hopes the woven mat matting can remain sustainable. Because according to him, in addition to meet the daily needs, this is also a part of preserving the work of ancestors earlier.

"We hope the local government concerns both in terms of guidance and equipment work and especially for the craft groups to continue to be improved, so that our area there is a local product that can be generated by the community to be exposed out of the region,