Creating livelihoods for indigenous women from... Loofah

Dried melons and the feelings of highland women

The person who "awakened" that value was Ms. Xa Thi Nga, a Muong ethnic girl in Xeo hamlet, Cao Son commune (Phu Tho). Born in the middle of mountains and hills covered with clouds all year round, Ms. Nga grew up in the months of witnessing women in the village from morning to night, but life was still lacking before and after. Many women have to leave their hometowns to go to industrial parks in Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, Ninh Binh... working for hire, sending their children at home to be taken care of by their grandparents. Those quiet breakups made her desperate. In the midst of many difficulties in the village, she always has a painful thought: how can women in the highlands make a living right in their own homeland?

The opportunity came during a training class and a visit to the local economic model. Returning home, looking at the old melons dangling in the garden, she suddenly thought: "Why not try to do something different from this familiar thing?"

That idea gradually took shape. In 2024, the model "Establishing the value chain of indigenous loofah" was officially born. But, to turn an idea into a real product is not a simple journey. Ms. Nga had to learn everything by herself, from choosing melon varieties, processing fibers, creating molds, dyeing to how to sew and stitch manually. Loofah is not as soft as fabric, much less easy to shape like bamboo. Just a little hard hand will tear or lose its shape.

Ms. Xa Thi Nga introduces handmade loofah fiber products to visitors.

Ms. Nga said: "Loofah is very easy to tear or deform if you are not careful. Each stage must be done slowly and meticulously to both ensure durability and maintain aesthetics. To complete a product, the maker must choose the melons with the right age, dry them thoroughly, clean them and then press them flat. After that, it comes to the stage of cutting, shaping, dyeing and hand stitching completely."

The patience of the Muong woman also brought unexpected results. The rustic layers of loofah begin to turn into wall paintings, bags, hats, decorations or eco-friendly household items. Each product has its own character because it is handmade by the hands of highland women.

Ms. Nga carries out meticulous handmade processes to create products from loofah fiber.

In particular, the loofah paintings created by Ms. Nga's own daughter are becoming a favorite gift for many tourists when visiting this mountainous area. In the midst of the small workshop smelling of dry sunshine and loofah, things that were once considered discarded now take on a different, softer, more valuable shape.

When loofah is not only a product, but also a way to keep people in the village

What makes Ms. Xa Thi Nga's model so special is not only the creativity, but also the way it is quietly creating livelihoods for many women in Cao Son. From a few initial handicrafts, up to now, ChaPi loofah factory has developed into many different product lines. There is an art group with decorative paintings made from loofah; the body care group includes bath cottons, back scrubs, and facial cleansing cottons; household appliances such as pot and pan brushes, steaming cakes, cup liners; and also fashion accessories such as bags, hats, decorations. Each item has its own rustic beauty, a beauty that makes people clearly feel the breath of the mountains and forests and the ingenuity of the hands of highland women.

Loofah fiber products are crafted through the creativity and skilled hands of highland women.

To find an output for the product, Ms. Nga not only sells to tourists but also actively promotes on social networks, bringing products to participate in fairs and exhibitions inside and outside the province. As a result, more and more people know about ChaPi loofah products.

Currently, the model brings her an income of tens of millions of VND per month. But what she cherishes most is the creation of stable jobs for women in the village. The loofah factory currently has 5 female employees working regularly with an income of 4-6 million VND/month. In addition, there are dozens of seasonal workers who are paid about 300,000 VND/day.

Not only creating jobs, Ms. Nga also consumes loofah for 8 households at a price of 5,000 - 6,000 VND/fruit. The melons that used to dry on the trellis have now become a new source of income for many highland households.

Chairwoman of the Cao Son Commune Farmers' Association, Ms. Ha Thi Khanh assessed: "This is a meaningful model, not only helping to increase income for ethnic minority women but also contributing to promoting indigenous culture to tourists".

Indigenous loofah fiber products are displayed in a variety of designs, combining practical uses with the beauty of traditional handicrafts.

In a place where many young people have left their hometowns to find jobs downstream, Ms. Xa Thi Nga's story is like an affirmation: the homeland can still feed people, if they know how to see the value from the most simple things.

In the long-term orientation, the ChaPi loofah model is not only a simple handmade product but is also expected to develop in the direction of OCOP, associated with experiential tourism and promoting highland culture. If properly invested in designs, brands and markets, products from highland women's loofah can completely become typical products with Cao Son's own imprint.