Many Orang Asli womwn were first introduced to needles and threads at Gombak. While I was there a large consignment of sewing kits arrived from the USA, and so I decided to show the women how to sew and how to cut patterns to make bajus for themselves and their daughters. This project proved very popular.
Pandan grass is used for weaving purses and bags, where softness and flexibility is needed. Pandan can be dyed and so the Orang Asli can design and weave intricate patterns into their purses, etc.
Batek of all ages bathe at least once a day, usually in a river or stream. Here a woman bathes her baby in front of her shelter by pouring water from a tin over his head.
When flowers are abundant in the forest, Batek often make them into elaborate body decorations. Here a man and six women and girls wear headdresses of flowers on bark and rattan frames and plant stems through their nasal septa. The women also wear lines of white lime paste across their foreheads and flowers in their pierced ears.
A nyero is a flat basket used to sift and dry rice. The material used is rotan. It is pulled from the trees in the nearby jungle and then cut into strips for weaving.
Climbing trees in or near camp is a favorite recreation for children of both sexes and all ages. Most people become proficient tree-climbers by the time they reach adolescence. Here three young boys climb some small trees.
Fish traps are made from bertam wood strips and placed in the River Gombak. The caught fish is then cooked and eaten by the patients and their families.
