Aceh Survivors to Export Handicrafts: Aceh, Sumatra

By Barrie | April 3rd, 2007 | No Comments

Embroidery production centres will be set up in Aceh to help tsunami survivors in the devastated province recover economically. The program is being conducted by the Central Bank of Indonesia in cooperation with Yogyakarta-based PT Out of Asia, one of Indonesia’s largest exporters of Indonesian handcrafted products.

Recently 45 Acehnese women were trained to make a variety of high-quality embroidered products by the Yogyakarta-based company as Sri Wahyuni explains:

After training at the company’s workshop in Tembi hamlet in Bantul regency for a month, participants have now returned to Aceh to provide similar training to other women in their respective regions.

The project was initiated 18 months ago and was inspired by the fact that many Acehnese women were skillful at the art of embroidery.

However, as they had limited access to a wider market and limited designs, they had only been able to earn a small income from the activity.

Warwick Purser, Owner and President Director of PT Out of Asia, provided the women with business perspectives as well as knowledge about high-quality handmade products that would be popular on the international market.

“My role is to teach them about (market-oriented) designs, quality control and marketing,” Purser said.

According to Purser, who received his Indonesian citizenship earlier this week, a number of stores including the renowned Marks & Spencer have expressed interest in the products.

“But of course, before we do the selling, I have to make sure they can produce enough to export,” Purser said.

Purser’s business has been operating in Tembi for 12 years and is renowned for nurturing the artistic potential of various communities by turning their products into exportable goods.

Sri Wahyuni