THE SPIRIT TOGETHERNESS; DEVELOPING THE WOMEN OF VILLAGE BY CRAFTING THE BAMBOO

Ibu Siti Maesaroh 29 years Old is the member of KSP Mitra Dhuafa in Tasikmalaya – West Java. She starts to join KOMIDA because of spirit of her Mom, Ibu Iros.

When I ask before, to the officer and Branch Manager to record the best story of member. They told and suggest me to capture Siti Maesaroh as a collector of bamboo crafts. In My short mind the collectors are always monopilze and keep the prize by their own need. But I try to be positive and follow the rule.

I obey the officer to capture the story of “collector”. Then the journey begin. We go by riding the motobike thorugh the villages, and we visit the “minggon” ( the members community meeting of KOMIDA where the transaction is always held in every week). Shortly I meet the Ibu Siti Maesaroh and say greeting to other members there.

I feel reacted when officer said that Ibu Siti Maisaroh is widow, actually the young woman widow. She has two boys, she gives us smile and allow us to visit her home and her workshop of bamboo.

When we arrived at the home, suddenly I got amaze again, the house is still traditional and homy, and ofcourse where the call of collector is trully metaphor. But yes, she collects every products of Bamboo crafts, from many neighbours who get the job from her. So Ibu Siti Maesaroh in her young age is starts to serve the people in the village to get their life better by producing the bamboo crafts.

Trully I got amaze in the third time, when I meet her mom Ibu Iros, she is the energic woman even the age is old, but spirit she keep highly full energy.

Ibu Iros is the reason why Ibu Siti Maesaroh keeping fight with KOMIDA, and Ibu Iros is also the reason why the villagers women almost produce the bamboo crafts in their home.

Let’s go back to the year of 1982, where ibu Iros was young she is the model of women in the village. Shea has many activities to empower women and villagers. She was the health actor of Village. In 1982 she try to solve and find out the way how to make villagers become productive. She realized that she was not a rich woman, but she has a commitment for her own self she need to help others.

And someday she asked to a kind man, how to help the villagers event she doesnt has money. Then He offer to make the crafts from bamboo. “Beside can earn the economy product, bamboo crafts is the heritage of our culture” Ibu Iros said in her best memory.

The officer and I feel amazed about the story of Ibu Iros. I really noted and feel honour to Ibu Iros and Ibu Siti Maesaroh They are the really “white widow” whom inspired, giving the light and bright life for the huge neighbors.