As a young girl growing up in the Rungus ethnic community of northern Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, Jesinta learnt very quickly to appreciate the natural environment of her rural surroundings. From a young age her father taught her to weave leaves, so unsurprisingly she was just 9 years old when she began weaving creations of her own, and by the age of 10 she was taught the “Rinogo” weaving technique. Learning such skills was not just for aesthetic reasons, but for supplementing the family’s modest income. Now a young woman she would walk deep into the nearby jungle to pick “ribu-ribu” leaves (Lygodium leaves) to weave into artful objects sought after by adventure-seeking travelers. Ordinary jungle leaves transform as if by magic into extraordinary collectible items for daily use or decoration through the miraculous skills of Jesinta Matanda.