Tribal people with crafts skills

Ban Sri Dong Yen (Ban Ton Lung) Village

There are approximately 38,800 Lisus living in Thailand and most of them live in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son. They are known for their rich colourful clothes made from cloth stitched into outfits trimmed with row upon row of multicoloured stripes, applique patchwork, tassels, and beadwork. Some Lisus also wear layers of hand-crafted silver ornaments for festive occasions. Lisu men are particularly gifted at producing crossbows, bird and animal traps, musical pipes and bamboo flutes. They traditionally supported their families by engaging in slash-and-burn agriculture, but now they need to transition to different sources of income because their traditional methods of agriculture are no longer viable.

Thai Tribal Crafts has been partnering with Lisu artisans since 1973 to develop products and pursue market opportunities that will utilize the strengths of these Lisu craftspeople and alleviate their economic needs. One of these villages, Ban Ton Lung, has become a well-known handicraft village in the Lisu community and a strong producer for Thai Tribal Crafts. The Lisus from this village were formerly scattered in isolated villages spread across the mountains of four different districts where they cultivated opium poppies. In 1908 a Lisu family by the names of Sherma, Bobay, Jamaw and Atawadi decided to lead a resettlement of Lisu people into an area called Ban Pa Kluay, now known as Ban Ton Lung village.

Alema Saeli

The village is known for agriculture and handicraft production and these villagers are now able to support their families. Sixty-five year old Alema Saeli was the first Lisu producer to work with Thai Tribal Crafts. She moved to the city of Chiang Mai when she was 27 years old and lived near the Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center (OCMCC). She worked as a dancer at OCMCC earning a salary of 200 THB per month. At night after her dance show, she sold her handicrafts in order to earn extra income. But she still could not earn enough to support her family of 4 children, 3 nephews, a niece, and her husband who was a drug addict. One night, Elaine T. Lewis (one of the founders of TTC) visited OCMCC for dinner and met Alema Saeli. She saw how talented Alema was at making and selling handicrafts. So Elaine invited Alema to become a producer for TTC and she immediately accepted the invitation. Alema was thrilled with this new opportunity and eagerly got right to work. She designed and produced specially hand-crafted belts and sold her products to TTC, earning an average of 6,500 THB per month, almost twice the normal wages of high school graduates at that time. By working with TTC, Alema was able to send her children to school and provide food for her family. She said, “Making handicrafts didn’t feel like work because I enjoyed it so much. I was glad to be able to earn a pay check from TTC by doing something I loved.” said Alema.

Lisu producers at work

Alema also passed on this blessing to Ban Ton Lung village by introducing them to TTC. Eventually, TTC started a development project with the village, providing villagers with training and production orders. TTC also gave them real-life experience with the business process by inviting them to come to the office to pick up orders and payments, and taking producers to the market to buy the raw materials. In the past, the villagers of Ban Ton Lung were unable to adequately support their families. Now thirty years later, since working with TTC, the village of Ban Ton Lung has become a story of sustainable success and self-reliance. Because of Alema’s original visionary leadership, this village now boasts five producer groups employing 121 women artisans and a group of 6 men artisans who make the Lisu Lute and Flute. About 80% of village income is from sales of their crafts. They produce their handicrafts in the village during weekdays and sell their products in Chiang Mai and Bangkok on the weekends.

Alema is now retired. In her old age, her eyesight is fading, and her hands are less steady than they once were, so she can no longer work on handicrafts. But she continues to check in with the other producers from time to time to see what they are making and offer her advice. She now spends her time planting vegetables and rice and enjoys a peaceful retired life. Alema recently said during an interview, “It wasn’t me who fed and educated my children. It was TTC. My family’s lives have been changed. Future generations will now have a better standard of living because of TTC.”