Developing Khmer Van Giao brocade weaving craft

Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Van Giao Commune, Phu Van Tuan, informed: “Based on the implementation of the Resolution of the 12th Congress of the Party Committee of Tinh Bien Town (term 2020 - 2025), we have proactively coordinated with specialized sectors to deploy solutions to continue developing brocade weaving villages in the locality. In particular, focusing on implementing and concretizing Plan 899/KH-UBND of the Town People's Committee on developing craft villages and traditional crafts in Tinh Bien Town for the period 2023 - 2025.

Currently, Van Giao Khmer Brocade Weaving Village has 63 members. Of these, the Provincial People's Committee has recognized 2 as artisans and 2 as skilled workers. This is the "nucleus" for us to maintain and develop the traditional brocade weaving profession of the Khmer ethnic minorities in the locality."

Van Giao Commune People's Committee has implemented a model of supporting the purchase of raw materials for 25 poor households who are members of Van Giao Khmer ethnic brocade weaving village, in the form of interest-free loans, with an amount of 125 million VND. In addition, implementing the poverty reduction project of Tinh Bien Town People's Committee, in coordination with the Transaction Office of the Social Policy Bank of Tinh Bien Town, disbursed 8 households in need of loans to buy raw materials and renew weaving frames with an amount of 80 million VND, applying the interest rate for poor households, so that these households have the conditions to maintain their traditional profession.

In the period of 2020 - 2023, the People's Committee of Van Giao commune has opened 3 training classes, teaching brocade weaving to 90 Khmer ethnic minority women in the locality. Thereby, it aims to preserve, improve skills, improve product designs for weavers, gradually increase income, and stabilize people's lives.

As an artisan of Van Giao Khmer Brocade Weaving Village, Ms. Neang Sa Mon is the one who teaches the craft to many local women. “Khmer brocade weaving products are completely handmade. Normally, it takes a skilled worker 5-7 days to complete a product, so support in terms of capital and production conditions is very necessary. On average, each weaver earns from 2.5 to 3.5 million VND/month, depending on the worker’s level and whether the product has complex or simple patterns. This income level basically helps increase the family’s income,” Ms. Neang Sa Mon shared.

In addition to being consumed in the Southern provinces where Khmer ethnic minorities live, Van Giao Khmer brocade products are also exported to Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, etc. Some high-end products serve domestic and foreign tourists such as: Europe, Japan, Korea, Australia with the brand name "Silk Khmer".

“Initially, the locality has connected a number of tours and tourist routes inside and outside the province to bring visitors to visit and shop for products from the craft village. Currently, the craft village has one product, the sarong, which is recognized as a 3-star OCOP (One Commune One Product Program). This is a favorable condition to promote the unique cultural identity of the Khmer ethnic minority in the Bay Nui region to visitors from near and far, contributing to the preservation and development of the local traditional craft village,” said Mr. Phu Van Tuan.

However, the Khmer Van Giao Brocade Weaving Village is facing difficulties in the goal of preserving and developing this traditional craft. In terms of facilities, the weaving village has 1 product display house and 10 weaving looms supported by the People's Committee of Tinh Bien Town since 2014, but they have now degraded and are no longer in operation. In addition, increased input costs along with long product creation times lead to high product prices, making it difficult to sell to domestic tourists. In addition, people in the craft village produce on a household basis, so their activities are still individual, not focusing on investment and developing new products...

In order to promote the value of traditional Khmer brocade products, the Party Committee and People's Committee of Van Giao commune have set the goal of developing craft villages to increase income for people, stabilize economic life, solve jobs for rural workers, especially preserve and promote local traditional identity, towards the goal of sustainable poverty reduction. In particular, solutions will be implemented to support capital, production conditions and market connection for Van Giao Khmer brocade in conjunction with connecting tours and tourism routes when there are tourist groups coming to the locality.

“We will promote vocational training for Khmer ethnic minority women, in order to create jobs, to gradually help them escape poverty sustainably. At the same time, improve the quality of craft village products with many beautiful designs, attractive to tourists and reasonable prices to stimulate demand. The locality also proposed that the People's Committee of Tinh Bien town and specialized agencies support the construction of an electronic information page, introduce and sell products online, build brands to find more outlets for Khmer brocade associated with tourism development, creating motivation for craft villages to develop better in the future" - Mr. Phu Van Tuan determined.

THANH TIEN

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