Roselind Balang
Karl Agan
Lily Chiw Liew Beng (left) and Leland Chiw Leiyien are all smiles while showing the popular Bario rice for sale at their stall.
Jenny (second left) and the ‘Bued Main Beruh’ entrepreneurs at their stall selling traditional Kelabit food as well as Bario agricultural produce such as rice, mountain salt and pineapple.
MIRI: Bario Food and Cultural Festival, better known as Pesta Nukenen, held at the Bario town centre in the sub-district from July 27 to 29 proved to be a great platform for entrepreneurs to market their products and promote local cultures at the same time.
Organised by Rurum Kelabit Sarawak (RKS), the festival which entered its 12th edition this year featured entrepreneurs from over 20 villages around the highlands.
It aimed to expose participants to entrepreneurship, improve their socio-economic status, and help expand their businesses locally and abroad.
Roselind Balang, Karl Agan and Jenny Katu from the Kelabit community had set up stalls at the festival.
Karl, 30, told The Borneo Post that participating in the festival was truly an eye-opener, and he hoped more business opportunities would come his way.
“I am showcasing and selling books as I am aware that in Bario, it is quite hard to get access to books, especially those which are locally produced, to encourage the habit of reading within the local community,” he said.
One title that had caught the attention of many visitors at the festival was the ‘Kelabit Phrasebook’.
“I had prepared all the words in English and with the help of a local auntie, all those words have been translated into the Kelabit language. It took one month to produce the book and its first publication was in 2015. This year I am bringing the second edition of the phrasebook.
“Through publication of this phrasebook, it is hoped that visitors who come all the way from other parts of the world would be able to converse with the local community, starting with simple words and phrases,” Karl said, describing the book which he sells for RM15 (hard cover) and RM12 (soft cover) each.
Karl, who is a full-time writer and project editor of publishing house La Letrice Borneo, said that apart from sending his books to several bookstores in the state, he is also conducting business online.
“Although I believe that it would be hard to boost digital businesses in places like Bario with poor Internet connectivity, we can always engage the local community in any related work towards producing our books and other materials which need their special attention,” he said.
Roselind, 57, who has been involved in beadwork for over a decade and in the bead-making business for many years, said the festival enabled her to promote her handicraft to a wider market.
“I produce and sell beautiful handmade beadwork as beads are of great importance in the Kelabit highlands and have been part of our lives for many generations,” she said, adding that this was her second year participating in the festival.
For this year’s Pesta Nukenen, Roselind brought many traditional beads of the Kelabit community. One of the most attractive beads she had on display at her stall was the ‘Rudrakasha’ bead.
“Rudrakasha imposes a positive effect on stress, anxiety, depression, palpitations and lack of concentration. It is also able to cool down the body temperature and able to bring calm to the mind,” she added.
Roselind also urged the state government to look into the transportation problem in Bario to encourage greater economic development in the sub-district.
“This problem has been prolonged for many years. Good road and air transportation can boost the field of entrepreneurship and enhance business activities in Bario.
“Whatever we are selling, without good accessibility, it will then be difficult for outsiders to come here and purchase our locally-produced products,” she said.
Jenny also lamented over the transportation problem which had caused many difficulties in conducting business in Bario.
“At our stall, we are showcasing and selling agricultural products that Bario is known for including rice, mountain salt and pineapple,” said the Kelabit woman from Ulung Palang.
Jenny said that it has been quite a pleasure being part of the festival, which she and her team of women entrepreneurs known as ‘Bued Main Beruh’ had taken part in since its inception in 2006.
Nevertheless, she admitted that this year has been a challenging year for them as there were not as many visitors coming as compared to previous years.
“Among the factors that had contributed to this is the transportation problem, especially by air.
“We hope that the number of flights can be increased, possibly by next year, to encourage more tourists — local and abroad —to come and enjoy what Bario has to offer at this prestigious festival,” she added.
During the three-day festival, visitors feasted their eyes on a wide range of products and also participate in exciting activities, like traditional games with the local community.
The 12th Pesta Nukenen was officiated by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas at the Bario town centre on July 27.