1In my grandfather's village, almost every household once earned its living by weaving bamboo baskets.
2Today, only a small handful of elderly craftsmen still practise this delicate and demanding art.
3Machine-made plastic products have flooded local markets because they are much cheaper and last longer.
4Young people see little future in a trade that pays so poorly for such long hours.
5As a direct result, the precious skills passed down through so many generations are now quietly disappearing.
6In response, some villages have opened small workshops where curious tourists can watch the weavers at work.
7A few cooperatives have also begun selling their handmade goods online to customers all around the world.
8These efforts certainly bring in money, but on their own they cannot stop the slow decline.
9What is really needed is for a new generation of young apprentices to value the craft once again.
10When the last weaver stops working, a whole way of life will vanish with him.