Marunda Batik, Empowering Flat Residents to Explore Local Potential

Surini along with her seven friends who are residents of the Marunda Flat Tower at Cluster A, Block 10 are routinely painting a Batik motives on a piece of cloth every Monday until Saturday at 10 AM-5 PM.

Those are produced using the slamming technique, the selection of Marunda Batik tends to use a black and bright base colors

They admitted that batik-making skill was obtained after training in 2013. But it had been vacuumed for two years. But they returned to pursue this expertise in 2015-until now after the Jakarta regional National Craft Council (Dekranasda) opened a batik-making class. 

Batik Training Given to 50 Cikini Residents

At that time, the Dekranasda along with stakeholders were opening a batik-making class to recruit the flat residents, especially housewives, to be productive, independent and potential persons.

Surini furthered that it takes between three days until two weeks to complete each sheet of batik cloth, depending on the level of difficulty.

"For each piece results, we get Rp 50,000-Rp 400,000, depending on neatness and complexity of the pattern," she expressed when being interviewed by the beritajakarta.id team.

Every month, four to seven pieces of batik cloth can be produced with an income by Rp 500,000-Rp 2 million.

"I had a trade business before but now I want to focus my current work," she stressed.

Flat Batik Community Coach, Irma Gamal Sinurat explained that Batik Marunda is a product with a standard that displays the native flora and fauna of Jakarta such as Kembang Teleng (asian pigeonwings-like decoration), Kembang Kelapa (coconut tree-like decoration made from colorful paper), Bandotan Leaves, Nona Makan Sirih, Bulus, Butterfly and Bondol Eagle.

"Those are produced using the slamming technique, the selection of Marunda Batik tends to use a black and bright base colors," she explained.

Until now the Marunda Batik marketing is still a challenge. Thus far it can only be exhibited through the Marunda Batik Gallery in Lebak Bulus and a number of exhibitions.

Therefore her side needs promotion and stakeholder support to promote in world class optimally. 

Anyways this resident empowerment program is very interesting. Moreover, since October 2, 2009, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization/UNESCO has designated Batik as Indonesia's world cultural heritage.

"Hopefully it will motivate them (residents) to start a new, better life," she hoped.