WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING

SINCE 2011?

WOW! Time has gone so fast….my last blog was on July 7, 2011 on “Toraja Funeral Convoy”!  Now here I am, sitting in my son’s lounge in Weymouth, Dorset, United Kingdom. At last I have some rest and can write a few sentences.

Well, since we started the TORAJAMELO social enterprise in 2008, we have been very busy!  To tell you the truth, had I known, that it would be this busy and this complicated, I don’t think I would have dared to even think about it!

Let me share with you the highlight of our achievements so far…

IN THE WEAVING COMMUNITY

•      Buying regularly from 40-100 weavers
•      Becoming one of, if not the biggest buyer of  Sa’dan Torajan weaving
•      Establishing ‘mini fair trade’ system
•      Informal training on color, quality and motifs
•      Inviting representatives of weavers to exhibitions in Jakarta
•      Starting scholarship program for weavers’ children/grandchildren
•     With BNI (Bank Negara Indonesia – one of the biggest national banks in Indonesia), starting a community development program with a formal survey towards a micro-credit pre-cooperative establishment

IN THE SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

•      Design:

o   Having a professional in-house designer (Nina Jusuf)

o   Working with several professional fashion designers (Sedjati, Dina Midiani)

•      Production:

o   Working with several workshops in Jakarta and Jogja to produce good quality hand-bags, sandals and clothes

•      Awareness Campaign:

o   Being invited to numerous discussions/talk-shows to share experience as a social entrepreneur, i.e. Indonesian Heritage Society, Indonesia Fashion Week 2012, Femina Women Entrepreneur Workshop in Makassar 2012, etc.

o   Being interviewed by numerous magazines, newspapers, TV stations, electronic media including Jakarta Post, Jakarta Globe, Pesona Magazine, Kompas, MetroTV, SCTV, TransTV, Kompasiana.com, TorajaCyberNews.com

o   Organizing the first ever Toraja weaving exhibition at the Jakarta Textile Museum and publishing the supporting book/catalog with the support of BNI titled “Untannun Kameloan”

o   Becoming part of the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism & Creative Economy for:

•  Program of taking local culture to become international fashion trend (starting with Toraja)
•  Program to rejuvenate batik (starting with Toraja batik ma’a’ and sarita)
•  Program to develop a guideline on Indonesian Traditional Costumes (Busana Adat Nasional)
•      Marketing/Sales:

o   Establishing a shop/office in Kemang, an expatriate area in Jakarta

o   Establishing several outlets in Jakarta, including in Alun-Alun in Grand Indonesia, Pendopo in Bumi Serpong Damai, Gallery Cikini, Koi Café & Gallery in Kemang, Jakarta Bikram Yoga, SMESCO (Small and Medium Enterprice Companies) gallery, etc.

o   Attending numerous trade fairs/bazaars in Jakarta since end of 2009, including Inacraft, Women International Club Bazaar, etc

o   Being sponsored by several Government Ministries (Ministry of Tourism & Creative Economy, Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Cooperative and Small Enterprise) to join their fairs in Jakarta, i.e. Trade Expo Indonesia, The Exhibition of Creative Product, etc

o   Being sponsored by the Ministry of Trade to attend International Trade Fairs in Bangkok, Tokyo, Los Angeles and San Francisco

   and since 2011 regularly sell products in Japan (Tokyo, Hiroshima, Kyoto)

o   Being chosen as one of Indonesian Icon Products during the Trade Expo Indonesia 2010

Along the way, we have been meeting angels who help us and lately, some devils have started to appear…to hinder our journey, BUT that is another story.