Handmade Faux Leather Planner in Brown from Indonesia - Reef-Side Writer

Artisan Organization: Bukuku

Country: Bali and Java

"Bukuku is an Indonesian word that means 'my book.' We are a small group made up of five artisans that banded together in October, 2008. We create unique and traditional notebooks and stationery.

"One of our customers ask us if we could make him an appointment book that would be different from the usual date books. We thought about this very hard and decided to combine batik cloth with synthetic leather. Our client was very satisfied and introduced us to others. Since then, our design have become more and more popular.

"Some of our artisan members haven't had a formal education, so we created training programs to teach them and offer them a steady salary in a joyful place to work. We strive to give them a good life so their children can have an education because, before, some of their children stayed at home or helped their parents work.

"Working with many people is not easy but we believe that working with passion, love and a willingness to help others will earn us their trust and loyalty. The artisans collaborating with us are the most important part of our organization. They've become experts. Aside from work, we relax together as a team by taking sightseeing trips outside the city. Discovering new fabrics and patterns has helped us enrich our knowledge of Indonesian batik.

"Our mission is to grow and create a positive impact in our community. We want all of our items to include Java's unique batik. Indonesian batik has been named an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO and we are very proud to use it, not just for clothing, but also in stationary and other souvenirs.""