Empowering women in Indonesia

Bachelor of Biomedicine graduate and social entrepreneur, Melia Winata, has been named in the 2020 Forbes Indonesia’s 30 under 30.

Melia wanted to make a difference for women living in poverty in East Nusa Tenggara, the southernmost province of Indonesia. Together with her two best friends from high school, she set up the social enterprise, Du'Anyam, and has worked to bring changes to the situation by empowering women in the region.

Graduating from the University of Melbourne in 2012, Melia co-founded Du'Anyam in 2014 and has recently been recognized in Forbes Indonesia’s 30 under 30 list this year for her social and philanthropic work.

Based in Jakarta, Du’Anyam is a social enterprise selling handmade wicker craft products like woven pouches and baskets made of lontar leaves. The primary mission of the organisation is to provide solutions for financial stability for women in poverty and promote culture in rural areas of Indonesia.

“Our biggest achievement was being part of the Asian Games in 2018. We were the only social entity to be chosen as a merchandiser – and the only one combining Indonesian traditions to create merchandise,” says Melia.

Today, more than 1,100 women artists in East Flores in NTT and Nabire in Papua have joined Du'Anyam and receive an upfront payment for every product made. The organization has more than 80 wholesale clients with their handmade products exported to 7 countries including Denmark, Japan, and the US. Retail products are also available on Du'Anyam's website and other online marketplaces, as well as retail stores in Jakarta and Bali.

In the future, Du’Anyam hopes to be the destination platform for Indonesian crafts, engaging women in every region and provence of Indonesia.

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