Lotus Lagoon in Black Ikat Cotton Yoga Mat Bag with Glass Bead Motif

Nell

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I'm from Jogjakarta in central Java and I love it here. Many people from around the world come here to study and learn our language and culture. That's why Jogjakarta is also known as the 'City of Students.'

I grew up in a big family, where education is very important. I am the youngest of three sisters and seven brothers. My dad was a soldier and my mother was a homemaker.

"I was faced with very difficult times when I divorced my husband, and also my workshop went bankrupt about the same time. I'm a divorced woman and single mother of a daughter and two sons. Having children has taught me many things, including how to be more responsible as well as more mature in thinking and attitude. When I was low and feeling depressed, everyone seemed to ignore me and so I had to swallow all the pain and deal with it by myself.

"With great effort and lots of tough experiences, my venture slowly began picking up and it got better until, finally, things were back to normal. What I learned from this experience is that your success and happiness only depends on yourself. No one else.

"I work with a good team and we use linen, woven fabrics and leather as our main materials.

"I design and do some aspects of crafting, and the rest is done by artisans who collaborate with me. I try to include elements from our culture, traditional classic motifs in my designs to distinguish them. We work with manual tools only. We don't use any huge machinery."

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NOVICA was started with a dream to create a better world for artisans, because a better world for artisans is a better world for all.

Along the way, the founders of NOVICA discovered something very important - as artisans around the world succeeded, there was also a visible and profound impact on the communities around them.

Your purchases are that powerful. They directly and indirectly provide for education, help with health care, fund basic needs, support children, preserve disappearing arts, and of course, spread happiness around the world.

The founders of NOVICA had a vision of the future that is not one of mega factories producing cookie cutter products for all to cheaply consume. Instead, a bright future that celebrates artisans who take the time to create an item by hand. A future where time is protected, where stories are told, where unique details are honored. Love, respect, inclusiveness become driving force.

United States shipping only. Expedited shipping is unavailable. Allow for 1-2 days extra processing time. This product may ship separately from other products in your order and may have longer than normal shipping timelines as it will ship directly from its country of origin.

All sales of this product are final -- we do not accept returns or issue replacements unless there is a defect with the product. Please review our Returns & Exchanges policy.