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Women and the colors of nature:

The strength of Mahina Laha in inspiring Maluku through ecoprint

By IW:LEARN

March 31^st, 2025

On the coast of Laha Village, Ambon City, a group of resilient women is driving remarkable change. They are part of Mahina Laha, a micro-enterprise group that utilizes the art of ecoprinting to empower fisherwomen while enriching Maluku's cultural identity. This group is founded with the support of GEF6 CFI Indonesia, and has proven that creativity and perseverance can serve as innovative solutions for economic empowerment and environmental sustainability.

Fisherwomen color Tottebags by hitting leaves on the Tottebags to apply natural dyes. Credit: CFI Indonesia.

The journey of Mahina Laha

Negeri Laha is known as a coastal area that relies on the fishing and tourism sectors. However, the dependence on the fishing season often creates economic uncertainty for the community, especially for fisherwomen. Recognizing its potential, GEF6 CFI Indonesia initiated the establishment of Mahina Laha with the goal of developing an ecoprint-based business as an environmentally friendly economic alternative. Ecoprint, a fabric dyeing technique that uses natural colors from leaves and flowers, was chosen because it aligns with the concept of sustainable tourism.

A fisherwoman dyes cotton cloth with natural dyes from wood, leaves and mangrove twigs which provide color. Credit: CFI Indonesia.

From August 14 to August 16, 2024, Mahina Laha held its first ecoprint training, featuring guest speakers from Zie Batik Semarang: Mr. Marheno Jayanto and Ms. Sasi, the owners of Zie Batik Semarang. This training marked the beginning of their journey in developing unique, high-artistic-value, and sustainable local products.

Sintawati, Secretary of the Mahina Laha Group, expressed her appreciation and gratitude. According to her, the ecoprint batik training facilitated by GEF6 CFI Indonesia has brought new hope to the women of Laha Village. She views ecoprint batik as a promising business opportunity that can be developed in her village. "We will continue to develop ecoprint batik because it has great potential, especially since Laha Village has been designated as one of the tourism villages in Ambon City," said Sintawati.

Instructors and participants take photos together with the fabrics they created. Credit: CFI Indonesia.

Product innovation and empowerment

Since its establishment, this group has participated in various capacity-building programs, including sewing training, the implementation of a community-based approach for fisherwomen, and tourism mentoring for MSMEs. Additionally, they actively engage in various promotional events, such as exhibitions, digital marketing through social media, and direct marketing to both domestic and international tourists.

Mahina Laha's products are now available at strategic locations, such as Baileo at Pattimura Airport in Ambon City and Space Island Resort. Over the past six months, they have achieved revenue of IDR 13 million, demonstrating the strong market appeal of their products. Furthermore, they have conducted an ecoprint training using the pounding technique in collaboration with the “Dharma Wanita Persatuan” of Ambon Customs. The training was attended by 20 participants, each contributing a fee of IDR 100,000.

Challenges and hopes

Mahina Laha’s journey has not always been smooth. The main challenges they face include limited raw materials in Ambon and internal group dynamics. However, they continue to strengthen their solidarity and build mutual trust to grow into an independent, reputable, and widely recognized business group.

The leader of Mahina Laha acknowledges that the group's progress today is inseparable from the support of CFI Indonesia. "We sincerely hope that the support from GEF6 CFI Indonesia will continue, allowing this group to further develop in production, marketing, and training for more women in Maluku," said Maliha.

Impact and recognition

Mahina Laha’s hard work has yielded remarkable results. Negeri Laha secured the third place in the National Developing Tourism Village category at the 2024 Indonesian Tourism Village Awards (ADWI), which was organized by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy. This achievement not only brought pride to Desa Laha but also proved that community-based economies can serve as a pillar for regional development.

The Deputy for Resources and Institutions at the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Martini Mohamad Paham; the Director of Destination Management, Florida Pardosi; ADWI 2024 jury members, Vindek Tengker and Madeine Sophie; the Acting Mayor of Ambon; the Head of the Ambon City Fisheries Office; the Head of the Ambon City Tourism Office; representatives from Basarnas, Pertamina; and the Head of Angkasa Pura 1 Ambon were among those who visited the GEF 6 CFI Indonesia Fostered Group. Martini expressed her appreciation for the ecoprint products made by the women of Laha. She and her delegation even purchased several ecoprint batik products from the Mahina Laha batik group during the ADWI 2024 assessment in Negeri Laha, Ambon City.

Ecoprint products displayed at the Proudly Made in Indonesia Exhibition in Ambon, August 2024. Photo: CFI Indonesia.

A similar form of support came from the Head of the Ambon City Fisheries Service, Feberien Maail, S.Pi., MT, who committed to promoting the ecoprint batik through various social media platforms, including WhatsApp, Facebook, and TikTok.

Meanwhile, the Ambon City Tourism Office has ordered a significant number of blue tote bags to promote to various parties as part of the broader effort to introduce Mahina Laha’s ecoprint products.

The future of Mahina Laha

As market demand continues to grow, Mahina Laha plans to expand its marketing network and establish partnerships with more institutions. Their product range is becoming increasingly diverse, including ecoprint batik fabric for clothing, scarves, hijabs, tote bags, and ecoprint-patterned tumblers. These products have been showcased on various occasions and have received positive recognition, even internationally, through the Global CFI network.

As a continuously growing community, Mahina Laha is a testament to how women's empowerment can create a significant economic and social impact. They not only uplift the profile of coastal women but also contribute to preserving local culture through the art of ecoprint. With ongoing support and an unyielding spirit, Mahina Laha will continue to inspire Maluku and Indonesia, proving that great change can begin with the creative hands of coastal women.

About the project

CFI Indonesia, through the GEF-6 grant titled "The Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) in Eastern Indonesia (Fisheries Management Area - FMA 715, 717, & 718) Components A, B, and D", is a collaboration between Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) as the implementing agency and the WWF GEF Agency as the managing institution. This initiative, which began on December 23, 2019, and is scheduled for completion on December 31, 2026, aims to strengthen sustainable coastal fisheries management in the FMA 715, 717, and 718 regions.

As part of its commitment to empowering coastal women economically, CFI Indonesia supports the Mahina Laha micro-enterprise group in Laha Village, Ambon. Through training and the development of ecoprint, a fabric dyeing technique using natural materials, this group has created new economic opportunities for fisherwomen. Their ecoprint products are now widely marketed, including at Pattimura Airport in Ambon and Space Island Resort.

With a focus on environmentally friendly creative industries, Mahina Laha serves as an example of how women's empowerment can contribute to economic resilience, cultural preservation, and sustainable development in Maluku.

Related content:

CFI Indonesia YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGqdUP5yII0 - CFI Indonesia: Pembuatan Ecoprint di Seram Bagian Barat, Maluku
CFI Indonesia Website: https://cfi-indonesia.id/
GEF-6 CFI INDONESIA: PELATIHAN PEMBUATAN BATIK ECOPRINT BAGI WANITA NELAYAN DI KABUPATEN SERAM BAGIAN TIMUR

Footnotes

Words by Ahadar Tuhuteru & Lisa M. Lautetu. Cover photo: In the hands of the fisherwomen of Laha, nature becomes a source of inspiration. Using the ecoprint technique, they transform leaves and flowers into artistic patterns that enrich local culture and create new economic opportunities. Supported by GEF6: CFI Indonesia, this initiative empowers coastal women to build a sustainable economy while preserving Maluku’s cultural heritage. Credit: CFI Indonesia