TORAJAMELO is a social enterprise that seeks to preserve the traditional backstrap-loom weaving culture of Indonesia by empowering rural women weavers and uplifting local communities. Founded in 2008 by Indonesian Dinny Jusuf and currently led by CEO Aparna Bhatnagar Saxena, TORAJAMELO works with ten different indigenous communities across Indonesia, providing training and development for weavers, purchasing their weaving, and converting them to apparel, accessories, and gifting items through their lifestyle brand TORAJAMELO .
It is an inspiring example of how perseverance, passion, and innovation can lead to meaningful change. TORAJAMELO has successfully revived traditional handwoven textile crafts, empowered rural women weavers, and uplifted local communities.
The charismatic founder has passed the baton to Aparna Bhatnagar Saxena, as CEO of the company and we spoke with her.
Aparna , originally from Mumbai, India, has a diverse professional background. With experience in mechanical engineering, logistics, and entrepreneurship, she eventually found her way to TORAJAMELO in 2017 first as an advisor after being introduced to the founder in Singapore.
She officially took over as the CEO in June 2020 amidst the pandemic.
What is TORAJAMELO?
TORAJAMELO is a social enterprise with a mission to preserve the traditional weaving culture of Indonesia, particularly among the Toraja people. The name in fact means beautiful (Melo) Toraja, the name of the island. It was founded in 2008 by an Indonesian activist, Dinny Jusuf. She discovered that many indigenous women were forced to migrate and work as domestic helpers in Malaysia and Singapore due to the lack of demand for their traditional weaving skills. These women often faced abuse, and their families suffered as a result.
To address this issue, TORAJAMELO works with 10 different communities across Indonesia, focusing on places where people don’t typically go, such as remote areas outside of the more accessible Java Island. Their goal is to prevent outward migration by working with communities that have both weaving capacity and capability. They provide training and development to these weavers, and then buy their products to create apparel, accessories, and gifting items for their lifestyle brand, showcasing them both in B2B and B2C markets.
“I don’t want to work with two very famous weavers, right, that’s not sustainable. That’s not really addressing the problem that I want to solve. I’d like to work where there is a community and we can work collaboratively at a certain scale.” –
Which is their model?
TORAJAMELO honors and respects the traditional weaving process by only working with backstrap loom weavers and avoiding automation. Aparna explains that their aim is to make the process more ergonomic but maintain its authenticity. Aparna highlights the importance of indigenous rights and the need to protect the cultural and intellectual property of the weavers which has sometimes been appropriated without respect in the past.
“Our aim is to ensure that these indigenous weavings, survive and thrive because each of them have a unique meaning and story from where they’re born and have been passed on from generations”
She also mentions the challenges in their supply chain, as most raw materials are imported. To address this issue, TORAJAMELO is working on regenerative agriculture, planting cotton and working to process pineapple fibre in Indonesia to create a decentralized rural economy. Their goal is to support weavers with working capital and create a resilient system where the weavers can be independent and sell to others.
A key aspect of TORAJAMELO’s approach is ensuring that the weavers don’t become “rural slaves,” as they will like weaving to remain integrated into their daily lives, giving them the flexibility to manage their time and other responsibilities. It is not easy for a startup and can be challenging for ensuring just in time supply, but it fits their mission of working and empowering communities.
“We only work with backstrap loom weavers, the motifs remain specific to the region of geographical and cultural origin. Here, there’s no automation, we will never go and automate what we are working towards preserving as it defeats the whole purpose”
They also restrain from having exclusive rights. Indeed, TORAJAMELO’s objective is to empower the groups to become independent and be able to supply even other players. Aparna discusses the process of working with weaving communities in Indonesia. First, they check if the community meets their criteria before conducting training and development through their not-for-profit foundation arm. They then assess the quality of the weavers’ work before procuring their products. Aparna also talks about the importance of not creating dependence on their company and avoiding exclusive arrangements.
“Our aim is to not stock in bulk and keep buying from one community. So, the key is that I should not create dependence and dead stock. So that’s why I want them to reach a quality standards so that they not just sell to us but sell to each other and sell to others because we want them to become independent and not dependent on us”
The B Corp certification
Aparna explains that they sell their products online globally and have pivoted to cater to millennials and Gen Z by creating more functional wear. They also offer a lifetime repair, return, and renew guarantee called “re-melo” (means “making it beautiful again” – taking inspiration from its Torajanese dialect meaning “beautiful”). This guarantee is inspired by Patagonia. With their style they have bypassed the traditional bias for weaving as a boring and formal piece of clothing, creating collections that honors the heritage and suit the taste of young generations.
The company recently went through B Corp certification and became Indonesia’s 12th BCorp, to ensure they were upholding their principles of balancing interests of people, planet, and profit. Aparna believes that having an external certification adds credibility and validity to their business. The certification has led to increased respect and attention, and they hope to use it to engage in more cross-border conversations and partnerships. Aparna recalls that the process of getting certified was not an easy task. It was an “humbling experience” that helped the company to get recognition and embed the correct structures from an early stage. The B Corp assessment has been integrated into their policies, which helps to structure the startup and make ESG and SDGs part of their DNA.
“I want the team to be part of it, we want to live it, breathe it, showcase it, so that it really, you know, becomes a part of our DNA”.
TORAJAMELO’s efforts have led to significant positive impacts on society and the traditional handwoven textile industry:
- Empowering Women Weavers: The social enterprise has trained over 1000 women weavers and provided them with a stable source of income. This has led to an improvement in their quality of life and increased self-confidence.
- Reviving Traditional Crafts: TORAJAMELO’s commitment to preserving the art of handwoven textiles has led to a revival of these traditional crafts, attracting both local and international interest. This has helped to ensure that the knowledge and skills are passed down to future generations.
- Uplifting Local Communities: The social enterprise’s focus on uplifting local communities has led to the creation of various community programs, such as education, healthcare, and entrepreneurship initiatives. These programs not only benefit the weavers but also their families and the entire community.
- Boosting the Local Economy: By connecting weavers directly to the market, TORAJAMELO has stimulated the local economy and created new job opportunities for rural communities. The increased demand for traditional handwoven textiles has also contributed to the economic growth of these regions.
- Promoting Sustainable Practices: TORAJAMELO’s commitment to sustainability has set a precedent for other businesses in the industry. By embracing eco-friendly materials and processes, the social enterprise has demonstrated that it is possible to achieve both economic success and environmental responsibility.
The story of TORAJAMELO is a testament to the power of perseverance, passion, and innovative thinking in driving meaningful change. By empowering women weavers, reviving traditional crafts, and uplifting local communities, TORAJAMELO has demonstrated how social enterprises and B Corp in particular, can contribute to societal well-being and create a lasting impact. As the handwoven textile industry continues to grow, TORAJAMELO serves as a shining example of how businesses can balance profit with purpose and pave the way for a more sustainable and inclusive future.
“We have to look at changing the system and someone has to make a start”