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Bamboo Matting and the Efforts

The simplicity of Mrs. Ni Nyoman Subartini was clearly embraced from her clothes and words. Maybe, she doesn’t seem to be an attractive person or proficient speaker, but the head of the Mekar Nadi craftsmen group has become a figure who has contributed in improving the prosperity of 114 women in her village.

Since the age of 14, Ni Nyoman has been working on plaits to make pukusan which Balinese people usually use for ceremonies. When Ni Nyoman attended a training event at the Industry Service, she was eager and her heart was touched to invite more women from Sulahan Village, Bangli Regency to follow her as craftsmen.

“I felt sorry when I saw the village women. Then, I started to teach them how to weave until they could. Also, I bought their plaits according to my funding capacity”, that’s what she said to the We Love With Love Team when they visited to provide support. Initially, she was only able to gather 20 people.

Ni Nyoman has tirelessly fought for the fate of the village women. She began to went to other villages. “I met the head of the hamlet there and asked to gather the women to become craftsmen. Then, I asked the department for help to give them funds, so they can start the weaving training. And I will become the training instructor and buy the results. ” Thanks to her persistence spirit, Ni Nyoman succeeded in earning trust from the cooperative and got a capital loan of 10 million.

The repayment of the capital loan went smoothly. Orders keep coming — up to 15 times a month, collectors took the handicrafts of the Mekar Nadi Group. However, the pandemic has hit the sales of woven bamboo in Bali. Orders were decreased by 30 percent, product prices were also affected. “Usually, one sokasih that I bought for 20 thousand rupiah from the seller and sold for 35 thousand rupiah, but now only sold for 25 thousand rupiah,” she said. However, Ni Nyoman persisted in buying the craftsmen’s products even at low prices.

Towards We Love With Love team, Ni Nyoman talked about the funding support for small and medium enterprise that most of the craftsmen did not get. “Only two out of 114 people who received this funding support, I also don’t know about the selection criteria,” said the mother of two children. She hopes that during the pandemic, there will be any parties eager to help her desire to increase woven creations to make them have more selling value. “I thought of making a tissue or spoon holder, but I still have constraints in collecting capital also the marketing.”

For those who are moved to help, you can support by sharing your ideas or provide funds through our website, www.welovewithlove.com