'Putting a bowl of rice on the table
each day became harder and harder when orders began to reduce after
the economic crisis. Not able to have access to customers and having
no knowledge what the market wants made it much more difficult to
produce my traditional handicrafts' said Pak Endang.
Today he works together with
Handykrafts to produce innovative products from woven mendong
and bamboo. We are also hard at work to find both local and foreign
markets for the products he makes. Pak Endang is thankful that
Handykrafts has helped him with a capitalisation loan in order to
purchase a weaving machine and other tools for increase of quality
and production. In addition, he is also grateful that, as the
primary provider for his family, he is now able to support them by
means of fair trade sales realised via Handykrafts.
Handykrafts' artisans — like Pak Endang
— are guaranteed a fair wage, with profits from products sold going
directly towards helping those in need through projects in health
education and assistance, small business loans, agricultural and
appropriate technology.
By way of the interest-free loan he
received to buy his new weaving machine, he increased quality and
production and widened his product range. This allowed him to
increase sales too.
