The efforts are part of a wider push to preserve Jrai culture and support local livelihoods, with traditional crafts set to feature in the development of acommunity tourism village in Mrông Yố.
In Mrông Ngó village, artisan Rơ Châm H’yun has adapted the basket-weaving skills she learned from her family to make handbags and baskets decorated with pull-tabs from beer and soft drink cans.
She experiments with weaving techniques, colours and patterns to give each item a distinctive appearance.
H’yun works on the products in the evenings or in her spare time. A handbag takes between two and five days to complete, depending on its size and design, while custom orders can take longer. Customers can also bring their own materials.
Her handbags sell for between VND 50,000 and VND 350,000 (approximately $1.90–$13.50), while baskets cost between VND 400,000 and VND 1 million (approximately $15.50–$38.70).
Nguyễn Công Sơn, chairman of the Ia Phí Commune People’s Committee, said the local government welcomed residents’ use of can pull-tabs to decorate baskets, creating attractive souvenirs for tourists.
The commune is developing the Mrông Yố community tourism village, where traditional handicrafts will help showcase local cultural heritage, Sơn said. It also plans to promote the products through mass media, initially in Mrông Yố and later across the commune, to help residents increase their income.
For artisans such as Ksor Êk of Mrông Ngó, traditional crafts are both practical and a link to their ancestors. His home contains baskets, winnowing trays, wooden statues and brocade products made over years of practising the crafts.
“This is our ethnic tradition, so we must not forget it. We have to preserve it to pass on to our children and grandchildren,” he said.
In Mrông Yố, local women continue to practise brocade weaving. Among them is young weaver Rơ Châm Khuynh, who learned the craft to make clothes and help preserve her community’s cultural identity.
“I learned to weave not only to create beautiful clothes with my own hands, but also out of a desire to preserve the cultural identity of my people,” she said.
Ia Phí also plans to provide new looms to help residents continue brocade weaving. The commune will work with relevant agencies, villages and organisations to mobilise resources for preserving and promoting traditional cultural values.
