Posts in category: Product Location

Toraja is a beautiful mountainous area in South Sulawesi Province, which consists of two Kabupaten (Regencies) Toraja Utara and Tana Toraja.  To reach Toraja, you can fly to Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi. Then drive for ten hours through a beautiful coastal and mountain scenery,  stopping in Pare-Pare for lunch, onward to Enrekang and then Bambapuang for coffee break. For a shorter journey, you can take a 45 minutes flight from Makassar to Palopo or to Rantetayo, Makale.  Then drive between one to two hours to Toraja.

TORAJAMELO has trained around 250 weavers, who live in Sa’dan area, about 30 minutes’ drive north of Rantepao. A weavers cooperative “Sa’dan Siangkaran” was established on 17 April 2015. Their products are sold in the local markets, in To’barana’ weaving centre and in Banua Sarira-Dinny Jusuf’s house in Batutumonga.

Mamasa is a beautiful mountainous area in West Sulawesi.  The biggest ethnic group is Torajanese, who are mostly Christian.  To reach Mamasa, you fly first to Makassar. Then drive for about ten hours, through a beautiful coastal and mountain scenery via Pare-Pare, Polewali and Sumarorong to reach Mamasa city.  For the time being, there is no flight to Mamasa. The road to the villages of the weavers is often impassable, especially in the rainy season. After a hard day, usually the locals will gather to loosen up their muscle in several hot springs which are open to public.

The weavers live in Balla and Pebassian area, 30 minutes’ drive south of Mamasa.  A cooperative with around 350 members was established in February 2018. They sell their weaving in the local markets and to Toraja Melo.  Mamasa is the only area in Indonesia, where the weavers create beautiful tablet weaving.

Adonara island lies just 10 minutes away by boat across a the Flores strait from Larantuka in East Flores.  Adonara is part of Kabupaten/Regency of Flores Timur, in Nusa Tenggara Timur Province. A strong influence of Portuguese culture has seeped in the local culture since the sixteenth century.  The coastal people are known as Paji and are mostly Moslem, while the mountain people are known as Demon and are mostly Catholic.

Together with PEKKA (Perempuan Kepala Keluarga- Association of Women Headed Households), Toraja Melo works with weavers in their two centers, i.e. in Lodan Doe, Desa Hinga and Senitawa, Desa Ile Boleng.  In Adonara and Lembata there is a total of around 850 PEKKA weavers.

Lembata is a beautiful volcanic island to the east of Adonara and is part of Nusa Tenggara Timur province. You can fly from Jakarta or Bali to Kupang, in West Timor.  Then take a small plane to Lembata. Or you can take a two hours boat ride from Larantuka in East Flores. Lembata has been known for its traditional whale shark hunters and its beautiful ikat weaving.

Together with PEKKA (Perempuan Kepala Keluarga- Association of Women Headed Households), Toraja Melo works with weavers in their two centers, i.e. in Desa Lamawara and in Desa Lamagute.  In Adonara and Lembata there is a total of around 850 PEKKA weavers.