Juliana had never even touched a sewing machine before joining the Batik Boutique as a seamstress. She had no prior experience but soon made headway when it came to fulfilling project orders. She currently is learning to sew our batik zippered pouch which is challenging in itself regardless of having past experience or not. She has always been interested in sewing but was never given the knowledge to pursue it. Her dream is to open a business herself and with the knowledge she is learning at the Batik Boutique’s sewing centre; she is one step closer to the realization of her dream.
The Batik Boutique’s sewing centre impacts many women like Juliana that have the ability to earn a sustainable income but lack the know-how. Women are able to access the sewing centre based on the needs of production from early in the morning to late at night giving them the flexibility needed to manage their households while working. The income received upon the completion of Batik Boutique projects eases Juliana’s financial burden giving her more economic freedom. She realizes that she still has a lot of growing to do in regards to sewing skills but is confident that with a little hard work and elbow grease she will be able to manage. Juliana’s goal is to see a lot of self-improvement over the next year so that she will be able to work smarter not harder.
Juliana enjoys family outings, cooking her favorite dish chicken Rendang and spending quality time with her children. But in order to do so, a reliable income source is needed. Since Juliana’s coming to the Batik Boutique, she has been able to aspire to achieve more. She can also work more or less each month depending on her financial needs. This leads to a stable stream of incoming funds that suit her and her family perfectly. If she needs to take time off from sewing in order to care for a sick loved one, she is able to cut back. Comparatively, if she needs more cash to repair an appliance in her home she is afforded the flexibility to take on more projects. The Batik Boutique works with its seamstresses in order to fulfill product quotas tailored to their willingness, capacity and priorities.
