Weaving Local Wisdom into Women’s Empowerment and Community Resilience in NTT
Elisabeth Hendrika Dinan—known as Ney— grew up in a family of traditional weavers in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) and became concerned about the declining number of young people continuing Manggarai weaving traditions. She co-founded Rumah Tenun Baku Peduli in 2012, a community-based tourism and education initiative that promotes woven textiles while supporting women weavers across NTT. In 2022, she participated in the Australia Awards Short Course on Sustainable Tourism Management at Griffith University.
Connecting cultural heritage with sustainable tourism
During the Short Course, Ney gained practical insights into managing sustainable tourism destinations and connecting cultural heritage with visitor experiences. She was particularly inspired by the Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre in Cairns, where Indigenous communities use storytelling to share their history, mythology, and relationship with the environment. Ney recognised similarities between Indigenous Australian traditions and the stories of communities in Indonesia. These experiences encouraged her to see local culture not as something that needed to be changed for tourism, but as a valuable foundation for authentic and meaningful experiences.
“That experience was deeply moving for me. I realised that we do not need to change who we are. As indigenous communities, we simply need to hold firmly to our identity and traditions,” she reflected.
The Short Course also strengthened Ney’s understanding of the importance of cultural identity. She came to appreciate that tourism can empower communities when it reflects their own values, knowledge, and traditions. This perspective shaped her approach to Rumah Tenun Baku Peduli. Weaving is presented as a living expression of Manggarai identity, knowledge, and women’s heritage.
The learning continued after the course through a post-course workshop held in Labuan Bajo in September 2023. The workshop coincided with a visit to Rumah Tenun Baku Peduli by Griffith University academics Professor Noel Scott and Professor Bill Carter. Their visit provided an opportunity to discuss the organisation’s tourism activities, facilities, and future direction.
Applying the knowledge
Ney and her team applied the Short Course learning by conducting more extensive research into local wisdom surrounding weaving traditions. They worked directly with weaving communities across NTT to document stories and practices that could be shared with visitors. This research-based approach has enabled Rumah Tenun Baku Peduli to offer storytelling that is distinctive and locally grounded.
The organisation also expanded its tourism products beyond weaving demonstrations. New experiences now include natural dyeing workshops, traditional Manggarai dance performances, and Flores coffee tours. Ney and her team have upgraded facilities and infrastructure while using the Short Course as a reference for improving destination management. These changes have helped transform Rumah Tenun Baku Peduli into a broader cultural and educational destination.
Through the alumni network in Flores, Ney invited fellow alumna Ney Asmon, Head of the West Manggarai Department of Manpower, Transmigration, Cooperatives and SMEs, to speak at Rumah Tenun Baku Peduli’s first weaving exhibition in September 2023. She also collaborated with Australia Awards alumnus Muhammad Boeharto, a Labuan Bajo tour guide, to promote the organisation. These partnerships have increased awareness of woven textiles as cultural heritage and intellectual property, and strengthen leadership within the organisation.
As of 2026, Rumah Tenun Baku Peduli has supported 96 women weavers by providing opportunities to promote and sell their woven textiles through the organisation.
“I hope to continue growing Rumah Tenun Baku Peduli so that we can reach and empower more women in our community,” she said.
