Hilltribe craftswoman turns social commerce pro
This hilltribe entrepreneur’s online marketing skills helped revive her community’s ancient crafts and send her kids to school. Every year, the Lahu, a hilltribe of Northern Thailand, gather at a village square in meticulously embroidered clothes and intricate ornaments to celebrate their new year festival, Kin Wo. They also carry bags featuring intricate embroidery, brightly colored pom-poms and stylized bottle gourds, which are symbols of prosperity and abundance. “These bags have been closely associated with the Lahu. Initially, they were created for household use. When local women did not toil in the fields, they spent their free time during a dry season weaving and making bags, similar to Isan’s traditional weaving culture.” Benjalak Jahae, a member of the Red Lahu tribe in Ban Pang Makham Pom, a small village located in Chiang Mai, told dtacblog. She is also a Lahu totebag maker, who participated in dtac Net for Living’s digital upskilling program. The Cycle of Uncertainty In the old days, most hilltribe villagers in the North were farmers. They grew rice, corn, and vegetables. Some raised livestock and foraged food from the forests. However, in the face of growing urbanization and volatile crop prices, many of them decided to head…
