Desa Gohong dan Buntoi, Kecamatan Kahayan Hilir, Kabupaten Pulang Pisau, menganyam rotan menjadi sumber penghasilan dan bagian dari praktik budaya yang terus dijaga. “Menganyam tidak sekadar menyulam rotan, melainkan bentuk perpaduan antara kesabaran, ketelitian, dan hati,” kata Niang, tenaga ahli anyaman rotan KPSHK, sambil menunjukkan proses penyusunan motif.
Anyaman Rotan hasil KUPS Rotan dampingan KPSHK. Sumber foto: KPSHK
Batang-batang rotan yang dijemur di rumah-rumah panggung masyarakat menjadi bahan utama yang siap dipilih dan dipersiapkan sebagai bahan anyaman. Menganyam rotan dilakukan masyarakat di sela mengurus pekerjaan rumah tangga. “Menganyam rotan memberi ruang bagi ibu-ibu di desa untuk tetap berkarya tanpa harus meninggalkan rumah dan keluarga. Itu nilai yang tidak bisa dihitung hanya dengan rupiah,” ujar Rokhmond Onasis, Institution and Economic Manager (IEM) KPSHK.
Upaya mendorong aktivitas produksi anyaman rotan, pendampingan kelompok, peningkatan kapasitas, dan penyusunan rencana produksi menjadi bagian dari penguatan KUPS di Desa Gohong dan Buntoi.
Perempuan KUPS Rotan Gohong sedang menganyam rotan. Sumber foto: KPSHK.
Hasil karya penganyam di Desa Gohong, sebagian besar berupa tas, topi, dan tikar. “Dulu kami hanya menganyam untuk dipakai sendiri.” Sementara, pengrajin rotan di Desa Buntoi tetap setia dengan teknik dan motif yang diwariskan penganyam sebelumnya. Motif seperti mata punei, tabuhi, dan bua salak, terus dikembangkan dan diajarkan melalui pelatihan-pelatihan. “Kami ingin menunjukkan bahwa anyaman rotan bukan barang kuno. Ia bisa modern, dipakai anak muda, dan punya nilai tinggi,” kata Susilawati, Ketua KUPS Buntoi. “Anggota kelompok juga terus berlatih untuk menambah variasi produk,” tambahnya.
Selain meningkatkan keterampilan dan kreativitas mengembangkan motif, material, pengrajin rotan juga berlatih untuk mengelola usaha dan pemasaran. “Kalau pengrajin kuat secara organisasi dan ekonomi, maka produk rotan Kahayan Hilir bisa bertahan di pasar. Bukan hanya sebagai karya budaya, tapi sebagai produk berkualitas yang punya nilai jual nyata,” ujar Onasis.
Perlahan, kelompok pengrajin rotan mulai lebih rapi menata usaha mereka, mulai dari mencatat pesanan, membagi tugas, dan mendata stok bahan. “Sekarang kami percaya diri membuat pesanan, ikut pameran, dan mengatur produksi. Kami merasa dihargai,” ucap Marlinie, Ketua KUPS Anyaman Rotan Gohong, sambil menunjukkan salah satu tas buatan anggotanya.
Geliat usaha rotan di Desa Gohong dan Buntoi terus tumbuh. “Selama ada yang mau belajar, rotan tidak akan hilang. Kita hanya perlu terus merawatnya seperti kita merawat budaya kita sendiri,” pesan Niang. Hasil anyaman rotan Desa Gohong dan Buntoi kini ditawarkan melalui pameran, jaringan pembeli lokal, dan pemasaran digital.
Penulis: Alma
Editor: JW & Kiss
In Gohong and Buntoi Villages, Kahayan Hilir District, Pulang Pisau Regency, rattan weaving is a source of income and a cultural practice that continues to be maintained. “Weaving isn’t just about embroidering rattan; it’s a combination of patience, precision, and heart,” said Niang, a rattan weaving expert at KPSHK, while demonstrating the pattern-making process.
Rattan weaving from the KPSHK-assisted Rattan KUPS. Photo source: KPSHK
Rattan stems dried in the community’s stilt houses become the primary material, ready to be selected and prepared for weaving. Rattan weaving is carried out by the community in between household chores. “Rattan weaving provides a space for village women to continue working without having to leave their homes and families. That’s a value that cannot be measured in mere rupiah,” said Rokhmond Onasis, Institution and Economic Manager (IEM) at KPSHK.
Efforts to encourage rattan weaving production activities, group mentoring, capacity building, and the development of production plans are part of the strengthening of the KUPS in Gohong and Buntoi Villages.
Women from the Gohong Rattan KUPS weaving rattan. Photo source: KPSHK.
The weavers’ work in Gohong Village mostly consists of bags, hats, and mats. “In the past, we only wove for our own use.” Meanwhile, rattan artisans in Buntoi Village remain loyal to the techniques and motifs passed down from previous weavers. Motifs such as mata punei, tabuhi, and bua salak are continuously developed and taught through training. “We want to show that rattan weaving is not old-fashioned. It can be modern, worn by young people, and has high value,” said Susilawati, Chair of the Buntoi KUPS. “Group members also continue to train to increase product variety,” she added.
In addition to improving their skills and creativity in developing motifs and materials, rattan artisans also learn how to manage their businesses and market their products. “If the craftsmen are strong organizationally and economically, then Kahayan Hilir rattan products can survive in the market. Not only as cultural works, but as quality products with real selling value,” said Onasis.
Slowly, the rattan craftsmen group began to organize their businesses more efficiently, starting with recording orders, dividing tasks, and recording material inventory. “Now we are confident in placing orders, participating in exhibitions, and managing production. We feel appreciated,” said Marlinie, Chair of the Gohong Rattan Weaving Association (KUPS), while showing one of her members’ handicrafts.
The rattan business in Gohong and Buntoi Villages continues to grow. “As long as there are people willing to learn, rattan will not disappear. We just need to continue to care for it like we care for our own culture,” advised Niang. The rattan weaving products from Gohong and Buntoi Villages are now offered through exhibitions, local buyer networks, and digital marketing.
Writer: Alma
Editor: JW & Kiss
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