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Tunjung Women's Creative project
About us
The beginning
The Project started from a discussion between a Tunjung villager, Mr I Gede Suwinten (Made) and an Australian teacher, Ms Denise Patten when they agreed to plan to do something for this village by focussing on the learning needs and preferences of the village’s women and girls. Made was concerned about the lack of women’s opportunities and wellbeing in his village; and Denise had developed a love of Bali and wanted to contribute her time and community development experience to tangible, women’s self-determination.
In April 2013, Made’s sister Nyoman assisted by providing her ‘shed’ as a venue and inviting a group of women to discuss with Made and Denise their aspirations, needs and preferences. This meeting was intended to comprise an initial participatory consultation and needs assessment. From this meeting, a group of the village’s women agreed and committed to attending sewing classes in the hope of manufacturing clothes and home ware fabric products that could be sold and from which they would receive payment.
Within a short space of time, sewing machines were found, batik material off-cuts were donated, teachers were enlisted, designs were developed and the project commenced with the production of brightly-coloured, batik table placemats. Made and Denise coordinated the project while Nyoman oversaw production. The Project was working and producing.
The funding
As momentum grew, so did the women’s expectation; their products’ quality; and Made’s and Denise’s commitment. By June, Denise had contributed a working budget and by August, land was donated and consultations and plans were completed for the construction of a workshop. A comfortable and functional ‘women’s space’ needed to be built.
By September 2013, Denise had donated money while making it very clear that, as a social enterprise, the Project would not aim to offer any benefit to her or any other investor or donor. All monies go towards paying the women of... show more Tunjung or the Project’s operations and development; Denise and Made agreed that all of the Project’s finances would further their capacity to realize their vision, as promulgated in the TWCP Management Plan of 6 August 2013: To create a business in Tunjung that enables women to be paid.
The village of Tunjung
Tunjung is a small, isolated rural village in northern Bali, north of Mount Kintamani and set high among forests of clove and mango trees, overlooking the Bali Sea. It’s in the district of Kubutambahan, the regency of Buleleng (capital Singaraja) and the banjar of Penulisan.
Tunjung residents have very little choice or chance of employment. Most from the village pick cloves from May to November; very dangerous work involving most family members Clove picking is seasonal employment and varies with good and poor years; if the clove season is poor, the year’s income is limited and survival credit is known to cause a seasonal cycle of poverty. That is, it’s all there is and it’s seasonal work that’s disruptive to financial and families’ wellbeing and schooling.
The Project’s 2013 Management Plan well reflects Tunjung women’s disadvantage:
What
This caring enterprise is based on goodwill to help women and girls in this small, isolated rural village
Aim
• create a caring social enterprise
• nurture and support creativity
• promote women’s learning and skills development
Purpose
• families and women develop self-determination and have choices
• girls can complete their schooling and break the young married cycle
• women provide learning, teaching, and learning together
• financial security fixes entrenched credit problems
That was then: early 2013.
Now, in July 2014, the vision and aims have been and are being achieved and the women are, indeed, better off while learning and earning.
Several women have returned from distant places and unskilled work to join the Project; the range of products has extended; sales have constantly increased. A shop-front has been donated and marketing methods developed.
Many have donated and, with Made’s guidance, several have visited the village. Your interest in reading these words is appreciated; and your patronage is highly valued.
show more
The Project started from a discussion between a Tunjung villager, Mr I Gede Suwinten (Made) and an Australian teacher, Ms Denise Patten when they agreed to plan to do something for this village by focussing on the learning needs and preferences of the village’s women and girls. Made was concerned about the lack of women’s opportunities and wellbeing in his village; and Denise had developed a love of Bali and wanted to contribute her time and community development experience to tangible, women’s self-determination.
In April 2013, Made’s sister Nyoman assisted by providing her ‘shed’ as a venue and inviting a group of women to discuss with Made and Denise their aspirations, needs and preferences. This meeting was intended to comprise an initial participatory consultation and needs assessment. From this meeting, a group of the village’s women agreed and committed to attending sewing classes in the hope of manufacturing clothes and home ware fabric products that could be sold and from which they would receive payment.
Within a short space of time, sewing machines were found, batik material off-cuts were donated, teachers were enlisted, designs were developed and the project commenced with the production of brightly-coloured, batik table placemats. Made and Denise coordinated the project while Nyoman oversaw production. The Project was working and producing.
The funding
As momentum grew, so did the women’s expectation; their products’ quality; and Made’s and Denise’s commitment. By June, Denise had contributed a working budget and by August, land was donated and consultations and plans were completed for the construction of a workshop. A comfortable and functional ‘women’s space’ needed to be built.
By September 2013, Denise had donated money while making it very clear that, as a social enterprise, the Project would not aim to offer any benefit to her or any other investor or donor. All monies go towards paying the women of... show more Tunjung or the Project’s operations and development; Denise and Made agreed that all of the Project’s finances would further their capacity to realize their vision, as promulgated in the TWCP Management Plan of 6 August 2013: To create a business in Tunjung that enables women to be paid.
The village of Tunjung
Tunjung is a small, isolated rural village in northern Bali, north of Mount Kintamani and set high among forests of clove and mango trees, overlooking the Bali Sea. It’s in the district of Kubutambahan, the regency of Buleleng (capital Singaraja) and the banjar of Penulisan.
Tunjung residents have very little choice or chance of employment. Most from the village pick cloves from May to November; very dangerous work involving most family members Clove picking is seasonal employment and varies with good and poor years; if the clove season is poor, the year’s income is limited and survival credit is known to cause a seasonal cycle of poverty. That is, it’s all there is and it’s seasonal work that’s disruptive to financial and families’ wellbeing and schooling.
The Project’s 2013 Management Plan well reflects Tunjung women’s disadvantage:
What
This caring enterprise is based on goodwill to help women and girls in this small, isolated rural village
Aim
• create a caring social enterprise
• nurture and support creativity
• promote women’s learning and skills development
Purpose
• families and women develop self-determination and have choices
• girls can complete their schooling and break the young married cycle
• women provide learning, teaching, and learning together
• financial security fixes entrenched credit problems
That was then: early 2013.
Now, in July 2014, the vision and aims have been and are being achieved and the women are, indeed, better off while learning and earning.
Several women have returned from distant places and unskilled work to join the Project; the range of products has extended; sales have constantly increased. A shop-front has been donated and marketing methods developed.
Many have donated and, with Made’s guidance, several have visited the village. Your interest in reading these words is appreciated; and your patronage is highly valued.
show more
Hours of operation
Monday10:00 - 19:00Tuesday10:00 - 19:00Wednesday10:00 - 19:00Thursday10:00 - 19:00Friday10:00 - 19:00Saturday10:00 - 19:00Sunday10:00 - 19:00
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Recommendations and reviews from 1 person
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Referral from
June 20, 2014
Hotel C. asked:Suggestions please, where can I buy bright coloured cushion covers, ready made in or around Ubud? And also looking for graphic designer to create a logo please! Suksema!Trace B. replied:Donna Townend Tunjung Women's Creative project bright cushion covers $4-$6 and is a not for profit project :)
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