From Root To Beautiful Weaving Affairs

Fragrant root that commonly used as clothes perfume and also as anti moth and cockroach. On the hands of handicraft group from Wonogiri, Indonesia, it can be processed into various souvenirs and handicrafts, from animal’s doll, pinisi boat miniatures and even reog, from the small size up to close to the original size.
 
Fragrant root handicraft on Conto Village started on 2002, as the suggestion from one village’s inhabitant named Warsito who now becomes the chief of fragrant root called Resimunda. In that moment, the root was only used as a perfume, so in the end there were many roots which unsold and heaped useless. These useless roots, thanks to Warsito’s suggestion, be treated into handicrafts things.
" In the beginning, the villagers were trained so the final output can be good. After they could mastering the skill, all fragrant root collected on the my house then the villagers can take those roots and bring those to their homes so they can work on those things. After that, they bring the handicraft to the house, so if there are orders, we will send the products, " Warsito says.
The result is amazing, from only shapeless roots, turn into export commodity that until now reach the market on Japan, and Australia. Every year is about 25,000 handicraft sent into these two foreign countries. "Australians mostly like souvenirs and animals replica.
While Japanese market mostly like to import on the bands of fragrant roots. It sold 50 cents a bond, " he explains. In Japan, the roots on the bond will be slice into pieces with the same size and shape, and then those will be set in three heaps which put on the pillow and will be used as neck support. But don’t imagine that the pillow is for sleep, because even though the pillow for neck support, it is special for dead people.
Conto Village now has total 100 ha of land to cultivate the fragrant root. That land is the cumulative from the villager’s land which planted with the fragrant root. Not only as the cultivator, Warsito as the villager’s represent, even go to Semarang and Sulawesi to explains how to cultivate the fragrant roots.
The classic problem is the fund. Luckily, they were meet with one of society self-supporting organization from German that willingly gave financial aid, until now they can survive. The innovations are not stop, on 2006 this group started weaving affairs handicraft from fragrant roots and create bag, a plaited mat and even prayer rug. " In the very beginning, we were created the spinning machine by ourselves with followed the example from Pekalongan. We pictured it, then we created it. We succeed created two manual spinning machine, these costs us total $ 400, " he adds.
Because that, with the present of ten ATBM machine, they work better now. Until now, there are 70 villagers who have been crafts person, they are consist from 30 villagers who only crafts persons and 40 villagers who be sides as crafts persons also be farmers. The fragrant roots ready to harvested after eight months. On that time, the roots will achieve 70 cm long.