Tai Thi Mai (first from left) and other cooperative members work on brocade weaving (Photo: Hau Phong/ VOV5)

Tai Thi Mai learned how to weave brocade at a very young age from her grandmother and mother who are masters of the traditional weaving craft. Mai said: “My mother taught me weaving when I was 12. She told me that I should learn how to weave to make clothes for myself, but it wasn’t until I was 30 that I truly started to follow the craft. Thanks to my mother’s teaching, I was able to weave patterns from simple to complex.”

In 2017, Mai established the Pa Then Brocade Cooperative, gathering women in the village who shared a passion for brocade weaving. After many difficulties, the cooperative had its first products to reach customers. “I improved the designs of bags and scarves to make them more appealing. That way, we preserved our customs, costumes, and the unique cultural identity of the Pa Then people,” according to Mai.

In the early years, although the products were sought after by foreign customers, the cooperative lacked the legal conditions to export independently. All overseas orders had to go through intermediaries, leaving Mai disheartened because the products they made didn’t bear their name.

A turning point came in 2018 when the Good Neighbors International (GNI) Organization began supporting the cooperative. GNI provided 8,000 USD in funding for the cooperative to purchase sewing machines, cutters, and steam irons, while also training members in management skills and helping complete legal documents for official export.

Phung Van Lap, Manager of the GNI Quang Binh Project, said: “Currently, GNI has supported the cooperative with facilities and machinery. The organization also seeks investment for products and promotes them at fairs and exhibitions.”

The cooperative also received assistance from local authoritiesin legal procedures and trade promotion activities. Mai said: “Since then, women in the cooperative have become busier. We are now striving to improve and diversify our products. We hope GNI will connect us with more orders and help us create more jobs while developing Pa Then weaving.”

Tai Thi Mai and cooperative members are making scented bags and ATM card holders. (Photo: Hau Phong/ VOV5)

Their efforts have paid off. This year the Pa Then Brocade Cooperative signed its first direct export order worth 4,000 USD to South Korea, making 500 scented bags and 500 ATM card holders. This was the first time their products were sent abroad under their own name Pa Then Brocade Cooperative.

Mai proudly said that it was not just a contract, but a long-cherished dream comes true. “Our desire is to penetrate international markets, such as Europe. All of our products are handwoven and environmentally friendly. Many international visitors have shown keen interest in Pa Then textiles. We hope our ethnic products will be more popular.”

Today, the cooperative has 15 members, mostly Pa Then women. Beyond being a production hub, it also runs free weaving classes for young girls in the commune, aiming to inspire ethnic pride and create economic opportunities through traditional craft.

The success story of Tai Thi Mai and her Pa Then Brocade Cooperative is not only a journey of cultural preservation, and promoting local products, but also affirms the role of ethnic minority women in an era of integration.