Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort & Spa, Kota Kinabalu successfully brought together Sabah indigenous handcrafters and local artisans to showcase a Sabah handicraft market in April 2019 for a corporate event for nearly 600 international delegates for Genesys (www.genesys.com), the global leader in omni-channel customer experience and contact centre solutions.
“We believe this is the first MICE initiative of its kind in Sabah, where an international organisation is actively involved in supporting the improvement of livelihoods. The sustainable development goals form an important part of their CSR initiative, while also guiding our actions in contributing positively to the community. We are grateful to see the passion and determination of Genesys in supporting this community outreach programme that aims to help improve the livelihood of the local community. There is a lot we can accomplish together, and this initiative is a clear example of actions that can support the indigenous communities of Sabah. Every little effort to support our indigenous craftsmen goes a long way,” said Fiona Hagan, the resort’s general manager.
In addition, Ms Hagan said, “We are fortunate to be in partnership with the PACOS Trust that helped us in putting together this indigenous community market. We believe it is important for organisations to help support communities positively and, at Rasa Ria, we will continue to do so.”
The handicrafts came from the different Community Learning Centres (CLC), located in a few villages along the west coast of Sabah. Some of these villages have a small population of 200 to 1,000, and are from the indigenous tribes of Dusun, Rungus, Lundayeh and Murut. To the community, handicraft making is an additional source of livelihood, apart from farming. PACOS Trust has supported these communities from its inception 25 years ago.
PACOS started the CLC with the mission to help the indigenous communities become self-sustaining. This event at Rasa Ria generated an income of MYR157k (USD39.5K) for the local community. Prior to its arrival, Genesys also purchased locally made bamboo straws and Sabah-bead wristbands as welcome gifts for all the delegates.
One of the featured handicrafts is a woven bag with a motif from the Rungus tribe called “Kinoriki” or hand-stitched patterns from Liu Pitas, a small village in northern Sabah with 67 families. This rich heritage of delicate embroidery skill passed down from their ancestors features different patterns, such as plants, animals and humans. Bag weaving is the only source of income for the women in this community.
In addition to the artisans, food vendors from Tuaran were able to showcase Sabah’s delectable delights, such as the Kuih Apam Balik (crispy pancake with peanut filling), Roti Jala (meaning “Net Bread”, is a popular Malay tea time snack served with curry dishes) and the popular Barbecued Chicken Wings, in traditionally decorated stalls. This MICE was a good example of how community support can be woven into programs. MICE done sustainably can help support livelihoods everywhere, all the while becoming an important contributor to SDGs and pioneering a new standard in sustainable tourism.
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