NADI Digital Training Opens New Doors For Kota Marudu Craft Entrepreneurs

By Lucia Terey John

KOTA MARUDU, Nov 27 (Bernama) -- Three years ago, Justinah Mehong almost gave up on her ancestral bead-making craft after struggling to find a market for her creations.

Operating from a modest stall in Kampung Tonsom, the 52-year-old artisan began her Rungus ethnic beadwork enterprise in 2021, after health problems forced her to stop her previous peanut-selling business.

Using beads sourced from Kota Kinabalu, Justinah crafts traditional necklaces, bracelets, lanyards and earrings, with prices ranging from RM10 to just under RM100, depending on the type and size of the beads.

Despite the quality and appeal of her creations, sales were inconsistent - at times, Justinah went for months without selling a single item.

Everything changed when she enrolled in the entrepreneurship and digital marketing training programme at the National Information Dissemination Centre (NADI) in Kota Marudu.

At the centre, for the first time, Justinah learned how to set up a TikTok account, conduct live broadcasts, record product videos and manage digital promotions - skills that had previously been far removed from her daily life.

“Apart from teaching us how to create TikTok content, go live and promote our products, they also gave us opportunities to join exhibitions. It felt awkward at first, but over time we became more comfortable - until eventually many people began to recognise me and my products,” she told Bernama when met at NADI Simpang Tiga Langkon recently.

With orders now reaching customers in Peninsular Malaysia, Justinah said that she is able to earn at least RM2,000 a month, no longer relying solely on income from palm oil crops.

Another craft entrepreneur, 42-year-old Farni Millis, who creates decorative flowers from corn husks - a material typically discarded by hawkers at tamu markets - shares a similar journey.

She began a corn husk craft training community with 20 participants in 2022, gathering and purchasing the husks for RM5 to RM10 per sack from local markets. The husks are then cleaned, dried, dyed and meticulously shaped into flower arrangements.

Similar to Justinah, Farni also struggled with a limited market in Kota Marudu, as most of her sales depended on sending stock to vendors and resorts in Kota Kinabalu.

Her collaboration with NADI later opened doors for her to develop digital skills, including producing attractive product photos, which helped her reach markets beyond the district and boost the community’s overall income.

“The beginning was difficult because we didn’t even know the basics, but NADI’s instructors were very helpful. Now, 40 participants have joined our community,” said Farni, who uses more than 3,000 kilogrammes of corn husks each month to produce nearly 20,000 flower buds. These are sold individually for RM5, or about RM150 when arranged in baskets or festive decorations.

Established in 2013, NADI provides internet access, digital skills training and an e-commerce platform aimed at improving living standards, particularly in rural communities.

To date, Sabah has 131 NADI centres - the second-highest number in the country after Sarawak.

-- BERNAMA