Thriving in her own Right
Meet Monika, the latest recipient of our craft scholarship program. And learn why access to education is key for young women to thrive in their own right.
Monika (second from the left) together with the craftswomen of Rumah SukkhaCitta Bali during one of our trainings in 2022.
Rumah SukkhaCitta Bali
With your generous support and that of several partner organizations, we were able to establish our fourth craft school in Bali last year - in the midst of the pandemic.
Rumah SukkhaCitta Bali since houses a brave group of seamstresses who - after losing their work overnight - stuck together and taught other women in their community to sew and embroider. So they could find work outside of the tourism industry that was in deep turmoil back then.
Monika is the latest recipient of our Rumah SukkhaCitta craft scholarship.
Meet Monika
Since January 2021, we’ve been running trainings and capacity building workshops there. And thanks to your support we are now also able to provide a scholarship to Monika, one of the youngest members of the artisan community.
Since Mid 2022, she has been the direct apprentice of the community’s leader. Supported by SukkhaCitta’s creative team, Monika has learned key skills such as the basics of sewing and embroidery, business skills, as well as quality and waste management.
Monika is the oldest of 3 siblings - which meant that she had to step up when her parents lost their work well before the pandemic. She had to drop out of school and work multiple jobs - whatever she could find - to put food on the table.
Gita from SukkhaCitta (left) and Monika during their latest training on QC, bookkeeping and costing. Business skills like these are essential for craftswomen to finally earn a living wage.
Before joining RSC Bali, Monika sold self-made dolls, offered snacks on the side of the road and also worked for a small distributor of motorcycle parts for some time. Always stressed, always tired - but showing up for her family every single day.
When we met Monika, we realized how strong and mature she is - especially for someone her age. But also just how much she had to endure as someone who is only 21 years old.
Today, your scholarship covers her basic needs and that of her family. So she can focus on learning and developing the skill she needs to build a better life for herself and her siblings.
That’s why our education programs are so important. They are not charity. They offer a fair chance to those who’ve been working hard their entire life. To finally get the appreciation they deserve - in their own right.