Gudang Damar

Where does damar gum go from the trees? They go to the storehouses to be sorted out. Yes, dammar gum need to be sorted out before it goes to the markets, because the dammar gum which just picked from the trees is mixed with debris that’s cut out of the trees.

There are two processes that dammar gum undergoes before it’s ready for the markets. First, picking up the gum from the trees, which mostly done by men, because the gum come out from the tree wholes that’s up to five meters high. Second is sorting the gum out, which takes place at the storehouses, and mostly done by women.

Damar gum industry is really beneficial in the aspect of labor. It involves both men and women in the process; men in the forest, and women in the store houses, which eventually can support more people.

If you go to Krui, south Sumatera, Indonesia, you may see storehouses, which is called gudang damar in local language, where women work to sort out the gum, but don’t be taken aback if you see their faces are mud covered. Working in the storehouses, they have to cover their faces with mud, so the sticky damar ash won’t stick at their faces.

From working in the storehouses all day long, they can get wages enough to cover their basic daily needs.