Handykrafts
is part of a not-for-profit organisation committed to
promoting high quality local Indonesian arts and crafts made in
small home industries. These products display the traditional
skills and techniques of craft-working communities in
Tasikmalaya, West Java.
We took a
bold step in the year 2000 when we envisioned a sustainable
industry in this tradition-based town in Indonesia. After
several years, we now realise that it will require nothing less
than perseverance and tenacity to make it happen; this means, we
are committed to hang in there for the long haul.
Since
Handykrafts is a small-scale programme, we have the flexibility
to be creative and to respond to changing needs without
bureaucratic delays. We can also be sensitive to the needs of
the people with whom we are partnering, whether these be our
customers or they be those whose work we are marketing.
We also
quickly came to realise that, initially, artisans may worry
little about what they take to be subtler issues like quality
and timeliness until they have first overcome more urgent
challenges, like putting food on the table, obtaining
appropriate medication when they are ill or providing basic
education for their school-age children. This is a reality we
are prepared to work with.
As
we attempt to generate revenue for our NGO, we constantly take
into account the plight of our craft producers and the fate of
their vanishing art. We go to great lengths to assure them that
we will help to sustain their livelihood and their craft. We
help them to strive for the highest quality in their production
so that their work may be marketed further and wider, while we
also work to inform the buying community of the value of the
final product.
The process
is indeed a slow one; from understanding the nuances behind
every conversation with local residents to acquiring insights
into their needs and the problems they face; from negotiating
purchases and final deals to cooperating toward a common and
viable future with the artisans.
We believe
we are half-way there and we are now looking for markets to
support our cause; specifically, we are in search of growing
markets that will appreciate high quality work from an unknown,
tucked-away town on the western side of the island of Java.
It is also
our hope that, in time, our efforts can also grow in terms of
quantity of sales, with the resulting profit going to help
support a larger community of need while also helping to fund
our other development projects, like appropriate technology,
community health and education.
In a word,
we like to say that for every purchase which helps us to touch
lives, we would also like our buyers to be able to touch
quality.
Remember,
ensuring that the artisans earn a fair living for their skills
also means that important traditions and income-earning
opportunities are sustained, giving these people tangible hope
for the future.
And in the
process, your purchase can make a difference for Indonesians who
are still experiencing the long-term effects of the Asian
economic crisis.
So, won't
you consider making a purchase of one or more of our Handykrafts
items? In doing so, you will help to support our efforts in job
creation, and you will assist in improving the quality of life
for some of the less fortunate people of Indonesia — by offering
them a hand up, not a handout.
Click here -
if you wish to know how you could help
