Riau Andalan Cooperative has obtained the intellectual property rights to five batik patterns which are inspired by local flora and fruit. With these intellectual property rights, no one else may claim these designs as their own work, which will help to further improve the local batik industry as the designs are now exclusive to Riau Andalan Cooperative.
The five patterns are the acacia leaf, the eucalyptus leaf, timun suri (a type of cucumber), lakum fruit (which looks like a type of grape) as well as bono (10 meter high waves on the Kampar River).
Batik House Mainstay Community Development project
Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP), a subsidiary of Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings Limited (APRIL), works closely with the Tanoto Foundation, founded by Sukanto Tanoto and his wife Tinah Bingei Tanoto, to create Community Development projects in the Pelalawan district of Indonesia. The projects form a large part of the company’s corporate social responsibilities program. They range from free health care in rural villages to teaching farmers and villagers basic business and specific work skills to give them an opportunity to create a better life for themselves and their families.
One of the Community Development projects is the Batik House Mainstay, located in the industrial complex of Pangkalan Kerinci, Pelalawan, in the Riau Province. Men and women are taught how to create batik cloth and fabric, and once they have completed the program successfully they can either start their own business using the techniques and skills they have learnt, or they can stay and work for the Batik House Mainstay.
RAPP has been training locals in the art of batik since 2013, and had lent the necessary funds as well as provided the building to start the Bono Andala souvenir and snack shop, where products created at the Riau Andalan cooperative are sold.
You can follow RAPP founder entrepreneur and philanthropist Sukanto Tanoto on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr.