Handcrafted Leather Eyeglasses Case in Parchment from Java - Simple Parchment

Artisan Organization: Witri Kusuma

Country: Bali & Java

"‘In life there is always more that we can be grateful for than we can complain about.’ The most interesting thing about Indonesia is its culture. Indonesia has very diverse cultural customs. We can see Indonesia’s culture in the form of of traditional houses, traditional clothes, regional languages, regional dances and songs, as well as ancient buildings. My birth city, Yogyakarta, is a city that always inspires homesickness. It has a good atmosphere, good food and even good people.

"Yogyakarta is known as a ‘student city;’ there are many nomads from other cities who choose to go to school in here. Besides that, Yogyakarta is the city of artists, since there are many artists working here. You can find a variety of creativity in this city. The most special part of Yogyakarta is the Yogyakarta Palace. Every day, I see courtiers in beskap clothing and jariks (traditional clothing from Yogyakarta) heading to the palace. These moments feel very much like I am living in ancient times.

"My father is a private employee at a bank, and my mother is a teacher. I am the second child of two. I spent a lot of my childhood playing with my friends in the house complex I grew up in. We would often play hide-and-seek, as well as traditional games such as bekel balls, congklak, and dakon. The activities that I liked the most as a kid were spot the difference and riding on roller skates. Besides that, I often took part in drawing competitions with my brother. Our mom loved to paint, so we liked to draw.

"The most difficult experience I had in life was while I was writing my college thesis. At the time, the thesis hearing was the most frightening thing to me, because I was afraid I would not graduate. It turned out that when the thesis hearing arrived, the examiners had greatly simplified the process. The atmosphere of the hearing was also not as serious as I thought it would be. Since then, I have become convinced that I shouldn’t focus too much on negative thoughts, because bad outcomes can sometimes be due to the negative thoughts themselves. Always think positively and optimistically.

"My work experience began with an internship program. I was an apprentice at the Provincial DPRD in the Malioboro area of Yogyakarta for about two months. After graduating from college, I worked in the front office of a health laboratory clinic. I stayed there briefly until I joined my cousin in making leather handicrafts. I have been working in this craft for about three years. We continue to improve our products so that every customer is pleased.

"I was interested in the field of leather handicrafts because it dealt with art and fashion. I always like to see products that are distinct from others in their design. My cousin is the one who taught me to better understand this craft. The best parts of my work are its simplicity, vintage designs, and production process, which includes sewing by hand. I work with my cousin and four other assistants. We use cow and goat leather, metal, and fabric. Sometimes we face difficulties obtaining the leather, which can depend on the weather.

"With every piece that we create, we try to make the most out of our materials. We have learned that scrap material can be used in creating new pieces, reducing the amount of waste that we produce. Likewise, during the finishing process, we use water-based materials, which are environmentally friendly.

"We are honored that Novica provides us with opportunities for cooperation. We realize that we still have a lot to learn about being entrepreneurs and craftsmen. For this reason, we really hope to find assistance in expanding our market. We also hope to learn business tips, global market tastes, and, of course, better production management skills." "