Putu Suserini

Artisan Organization: Putu Suserini

Country: Bali and Java

"My name is Putu Suserini and I was born in Bali in 1975. I am the youngest of six children and have worked since I was in elementary school. Whenever I earned money, I shared it with my siblings.

"After graduating from high school, I moved to Denpasar and worked in a shop for about ten years. People say I'm a kind and honest woman. I'm married and have three children. Having children has not made my situation worse like I used to think. With the children on our side, we can always solve problems, as I think God protects them.

"My husband helps me with my work. Before we started, we lived under very difficult conditions. After a bomb exploded in Bali, no tourists visited the island and, around the same time, I was fired from my job. I was pregnant and sick, but God's mercy saved me from the difficult condition.

"My brother taught me this craft, which he has done since 1995. When I first started, we received a big order for our wooden décor designs. I realized that no matter how difficult the situation is, we could solve it if we combat laziness and live simply.

"My husband helps find our materials and also does the finishing while I manage orders and coordinate the work with the eight artisans who assist us. They are just like my own family, and live and eat together here in our workshop. We work with albesia wood, paint and cord. We use hammers, brushes, chisels and saws. We develop new designs to make our wood crafts unique.

"I hope more people around the world come to know our work.""