By Wilfred Pilo
ANGELINA PARAN, 32, is a skillful handicraft maker. She makes beautiful tote bags, bottle carriers, baskets, clutches, trays and sorters from rattan and plastic materials. The problem is this: It is hard for her to sustain her small business because her market is confined to a small number of visitors to her village Long Kevok, nestled deep in the jungle of Borneo.
Without a steady income, Angelina finds it extremely challenging to feed her family and raise her two children. Her predicament is shared by many other handicraft makers and entrepreneurs from the Penan and Kayan communities who reside in the vast and sparsely populated Apoh-Tutoh region of Baram District in Miri.
But her fortunes could change for the better soon.
Recently, she attended an upskilling workshop known as “Program Memacu Kehidupan: Community Technical Outreach Programme (CTOP)”, organised by global energy company Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS) and Centre for Technology Excellence Sarawak (Centexs) at the Rural Service Centre (RSC), Long Latei, Apoh in Baram.
Under the programme, 50 Penan and Kayan handicraft makers and homestay operators were given basic training in digital marketing and customer service.
“As a housewife and mother to two young children, I had to be resilient to ensure the survival and wellbeing of my family. I still consider myself lucky to be able to learn new technology and the Internet of Things (IOT) with the help of my sisters and friends.
“I only studied up to Primary Six because my parents could not afford to send me to secondary school. So, the only way for me to improve myself now is to learn new skill sets,” Angelina said when met at the launching of the programme by Telang Usan assemblyman, Dato Dennis Ngau.
During the workshop, she was taught how to use social media applications such as TikTok, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram to sell her handicrafts and other products to markets beyond her village. And once she picked up the knowhow, there would be no going back for her.
Homestay operator Nasdie Kelasau, 53, from Long Kerong said he learnt how to improve customer service for his homestay.
“Our village is equipped with homestay facilities. With social media, we hope to boost tourism and the hospitality industry here,” he said.
Baram is blessed with a vast tapestry of Orang Ulu cultures and diverse natural attractions waiting to be developed and discovered. For instance, the Kayan village of Long Bedian, is surrounded by limestone mountains, rich in unexplored flora and fauna, and shrouded with intriguing ancient tales and legends.
The village is also surrounded by many places of interest including a cascading waterfall known as the Tenyoh Waterfall. It is also home of the Highland Folk Music and Dance Festival held biennially.
According to Dennis, the picturesque Telang Usan has comfortable weather, and its surrounding natural beauty is a bonus for visitors.
“These factors have attracted visitors, and as such, homestay operators are expanding, and many locals in Telang Usan are going into the hospitality business which would be good for the community here.
“There are so many things to be discovered under the thick canopies of the Baram jungle. Tourism has a big potential to be the lifeline for our local communities in far flung places like ours here,” said Dennis, adding that basic tourism facilities and amenities such as homestays are already in place in Telang Usan and other areas in Baram.
Local homestay operators also testified that there are already promising signs that the tourism industry in Baram is heading towards a brighter future.
“After the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been an influx of visitors to the villages in this area. Most were adventure seekers and weekenders who wanted to experience what rural Sarawak has to offer,” said Puyang Anyie, 53, a staff at Hornbill Guesthouse in Long Bedian.
And with new skill sets in digital marketing and homestay service, the future looks bright and promising for the small entrepreneurs in Baram to be successful in their endeavours. — DayakDaily
