BARABAI (TABIRkota) — Jessica Rosia Lane and her daughter, Sofia Erica Ellina Lane, both Australian citizens, were left amazed by the traditional Banjar healing technique using Minyak Waras Borneo created by Kai Ahim.
Jessica Rosia Lane expressed her admiration during a visit to Kai Ahim’s alternative healing home, located at the Banjar Tangga Karamat 159 Traditional House at Batang Alai Selatan (BAS) District, Hulu Sungai Tengah (HST) Regency, South Kalimantan (Kalsel), last Thursday (16/7).
According to her, the visit was a historic moment, as it allowed them to witness firsthand a traditional healing process passed down through generations.
"This experience is a valuable opportunity to understand an aspect of Banjar culture that we had previously only heard about through family stories," she said.
Jessica Rosia Lane and Sofia Erica Ellina Lane are of Banjar descent from the Kalua area in Tabalong Regency, and currently reside in Perth, Australia.
During their stay at the Banjar Tangga Karamat 159 Traditional House, Jessica Rosia Lane and Sofia Erica Ellina Lane observed various stages of the treatment and interacted with locals who came to seek medical help.
The two Australians listened enthusiastically to explanations regarding the values accompanying the traditional healing practices, such as respect for ancestors and the human connection with nature.
Furthermore, they both experienced the benefits of Kai Ahim’s Minyak Waras Borneo firsthand by participating in the traditional healing process.
Jessica Rosia Lane added that the existence of traditional medicine is an important part of cultural identity that deserves to be introduced to the younger generation, including the Banjar diaspora abroad.
"The experience in Barabai, especially at Kai Ahim’s Traditional Healing House, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience because I can closely understand our family’s cultural roots," she added.
During the Banjar War, Jessica Rosia Lane’s great-grandparents migrated to Tembilahan, Riau, and settled there.
When World War II broke out and Japanese forces entered Sumatra, Jessica Rosia Lane’s grandmother and her family fled to Singapore.
Jessica Rosia Lane grew up in Singapore, but the traditions and stories about Banua Banjar remained deeply rooted in her through the tales told by her grandmother and mother.
Jessica later married Peter Lane, an Australian citizen, and settled in the Land of the Kangaroo, where they raised two children, Sofia Erica Ellina Lane and Samantha Suriyani Lane. (ra)
