Page 27 - YouthPower

They make use of fallow farmland to cultivate ramie, spin its fibers into thread, dye them with natural plants, and finally weave them into beautiful fabrics infused with the warmth of handmade work. Blending knowledge, aesthetics, and collective learning, the workshop carries on the early indigenous women’s wisdom of weaving, farming, and koji production/brewing— household crafts that were once the heart of both home and culture.
• Founders: Ahi·Komod and O’ol·Kacaw • Established: 2021
• Main Products:
Handwoven creations including straps, fabric pieces, pouches, and tote bags; experiential activities
and workshops such as ramie fiber extraction, natural dyeing, and DIY weaving. • Recent Achievements:
1. Hosts regular monthly workshops on ramie fiber making and weaving, along with farming and cultural tribe tours, attracting an annual average of 300 participants
2. Produces customized woven items for corporate clients, with some creations exported to Japan as gifts
清晨的陽光從花蓮壽豐溪口村舊穀倉的窗櫺 灑落，一群女性正專注地操作織布機，雙手靈巧 穿梭，將苧麻化為生活實用品。這裡是「女仕 女事」工坊，由阿美族人 Ahi 與眾位在地部落 夥伴共同創辦。
Ahi 在北部定居工作 20 多年， 35 歲那年， 因倦怠大城市的環境，選擇返鄉。回到溪口，她 卻看見青年外流、產業停滯的困境，意識到必須 找到與地方共榮的解方。她注意到部落的閒置 土地，也想起被遺忘已久的「苧麻」。這個曾在 原住民族文化中扮演重要角色的多年生植物， 強韌耐用、易於栽培，既是布料原料，也象徵著 人與自然的連結。然而隨著工業布料普及，苧麻 編織逐漸式微。
Ahi 深信，被時代遺落的苧麻，正是連結部落 過去與未來、解決生計與文化傳承問題的關鍵， 於是 2021 年，「女仕女事」正式成立。工坊成立 之初，她們便在溪口部落約 300 坪的土地上， 種下數十株台灣在地品系的苧麻。這片田 地 不 只 是 農田，更是一個文化實驗場。從採收、刮麻取纖、 紡線、草木染、織作，完成一件件的文創織品， 帶來多元的編織技藝與發想。
As the morning sunlight filters through the old granary windows of Shoufeng’s Xikou Village in Hualien, a group of women work intently at their looms, transforming ramie fibers into daily essentials. This is the nu babahi a demak workshop, founded by Ahi and fellow tribal community members.
After living and working in northern Taiwan for more than twenty years, Ahi grew weary of city life and decided to return home. What she found, however, was a village facing youth outmigration and economic stagnation. That was when she noticed the long-abandoned ramie plants growing on idle tribal land, a crop once rich with meaning in indigenous culture. Believing that ramie could reconnect the past and future of her community while offering both livelihood and cultural renewal, Ahi founded nu babahi a demak in 2021. She began by planting dozens of ramie stalks in Xikou Tribe, launching a revival that spans harvesting, fiber extraction, dyeing, and weaving, and transforming diverse crafts into creative cultural products.
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