
History
This foundation is called Julie-Marie after Julie, mother of my grand father William Rappard (who died giving birth at the age of 23 in NYC) and Marie, who became his step mother and very dedicated to this only child.
This foundation was never registered for 2 problems: In Switzerland you have to fund the foundation with 50,000 swiss francs (which cannot be spent) and in Indonesia you have to pay an important percentage of the amount spent. It is much easier to travel and stay as a tourist!
First, thanks to Marie-Claire Barth who was for many years a missionary with her husband in Indonesia.
To me Indonesia was ideal. It was a peaceful and huge country with a great many poor people. I discovered Sulawesi while trekking and fell in love with this very special country!
Trip to Rantepao to meet Reverend Mrs. Angguii. She would like money to buy sewing machines. I propose 20 sewing machines, and with the sent money she managed to buy the sewing machines, an embroidery machine, and appliances for a beauty parlor.
Trip to Bali where I meet L. B., a Swiss teacher/stylist who has a house in Sanur. She trained 2 balinese ladies as seamstresses. Only one of them is active in sewing Arimbi. We decided to translate a Dwiss sewing method in which we select the most important parts. It will be translated into Indonesian by Albert Beaucourt and revised in Switzerland by an Indonesian lady recommended by Marie Claire Barth.
The course will last 3 months. It will be open to ladies with no professional training, able to read and master the 4 basic mathematical operations. They shoud be between 18 and 35 years old. A list of supplies was made sewing and writing, which can be seen in the guidelines.
A first sewing course for future teachers is organised, three years later because of the unrest in Bali in 2002 and 2003. The chosen candidates are not confirmed until the last minute, but there will be 5. The basic supplies are bought but the 2 sewing machines do not function/ L. B. will use her Bernina which is in fact a bad choice because it is not found in Indonesia.
The candidates ask for too expensiv refunds and L.B. is very helpful in dealing with this problem (mostly induced by an older candidate who has come with a lady who is supposed to help her constantly). We are not going to buy erasers because the candidates use it and erase the method. We also discovered that the titles in italics are not readable. We will have to change all the titles of the method book!
The Swiss teacher threw all what she did not use behind her back, then asked for a mssage whenever she stopped teaching. I decided not to work with her any longer, as she treated the students disrespectfully.
Secund trip to Rantepao! I am sorry to realise that Rev Angui is only interested in the welfare of her parish and is not concerned with teaching. The 20 machines rest in a room and are rarely used, only to decorate the robe of the pastor.
In Bali I expect contacts from Singaraja, they come 5 weeks later than anticipated and their proposal is too expensive and not feasible. Their report was read by my son Nicolas, who was appalled. I learned one important lesson:the sewing machines provided by the foundation should not be given, but sold by microcredit with no interest and the money should be collected and used by the local coordinator. I decide to ask P. T., a business man interested in our foundation to go to Salatiga and discover Kris Timotius recommended by Marie Clare Barth. A sewing course will be given in Salatiga in 2006.
A sewing course held by Loisa Banbang was very sucessful! She will give a second course without my financial support. I do not believe in multiplying the number of trained women in the same area. It is true that Bali is big with many tourists.
Stay in Sanur where I meet Loisa Banbang, who is impressive and very dynamic. She runs a florishing garment factory, which sells in France and New Caledonia! Her mother is the head of a school for Chinese students, which is very efficient but creates a even bigger gap between Indonesian and Chinese. Social unrest is growing. A good lesson to Julie Marie, which has to be open and give courses to women from different ethnic and religious origins! Loisa’s employees only work on one task and do not master the art of sewing a piece of clothing. They are not free to start by themselves. Loisa even refuses me to give her employees commercial patterns.
The sewing class is lead by Kris and 2 tutors, with 14 students. Results are not very conclusive. The students were not well selected, any age. I observed over 3 days. One tutor is good and well selected. The other, for instance, was cutting for the candidates who were afraid of using the scissors. The fabrics were cut without any economical planing.
I re- write the guidelines and keep Ratna, who is excellent. Age of participants between 18 and 35. Fulltime teaching 5 or 6 hours a day and 5 days a week, with additional time for independant practice. There will be one tutor, well selected using our method. Sewing machines will be bought for a good price, with both zigzag and straight stitching. The candidates will be able to buy them with microcredit. An examination at the end of the course allows those who succeed to have a certificate with their name. We have to add a picture because the names are often the same.
The sewing course in Denpasar went well. Loisa wants to repeat it.
d.Meeting in Jogya with Kris, Ratna, Juanita Wattimena from Banjarmasin. and Loisa. Loisa invites us to visit a big garment factory in the vicinity. It is a 10 huge one story buildings where a thousand women work 7 days a week 12 hours a day. The cotton is treated, threaded, colored, woven, and sewn into clothes ready to be shipped away. The heat is unbearable, and the man in charge learning about JulieMarie is offering me to cover the salary of handicapped women. When I share my shock with Kris it is no surprise to him and therefore he did not want to join. I will never support such a factory, exploiting the employees with no concern and respect! We decide to keep in touch with rev Juanita Wattimena.
A sewing couse will be held by Loisa Banbang in Denpasar with 20 candidates.
Jogyakarta Meeting May 24-27 Loisa has invited 4 participants instead of one. She has planed a new course near Jogya in a village where a cousin of her is the leader. We are invited intp his mansion, hidden from looting. Extremely wealthy I do not wish to support his peeple. Thanks to the earthquake, no visit and the prospect is abandonned. Kris and Ratna discuss the course in Luwuk, ill programmed and with financial problems due to his friend's wife (whom I had met in Denpasar). She had induced her collegues into cheating! A post grad course is planned in Salatiga for 2 weeks and with no more than 8 participants from Banjarmasin, Rantepao, Luwuk, and Salatiga.
b.May 27th Violent earthquake, Kris and Ratna are already back home. We are 6 hours from Bali, no way to fly from Jogya. The airport is closed. We travel in a private car to Solo. It takes 4 hours to drive 60 km. Loisa takes 6 tickets from JulieMarie. The former tickets will be returned by Garuda airlines to Loisa. Safe and very late arrival, in my hotel I was told that Javanese have trouble because they always complain.
Flight to Manado where Loisa has aCchristian meeting. I have to refuse to take a very sweet 12 year old girl who wishes to live in Switzerland with me.
25.10 Trip to Papua to investigate for possible sewing classes in Jayapura. Maryke, head of P3W introduces me. This is a very peaceful center, hosts several ladies (sometimes with their parents from the "bush"). Some are handicapped and need medical help. None of them will return home, which is too far away and lacking clean water and electricity. Their life is comfortable and only request rare help in the kitchen and prayers. Mariyke insists that they learn also about cleanness. She is very concerned with how to help and stop helping. She just had the visit of a 19 year old man who was begging for more money which he claimed to deserve because he is alive because of the church. Usually twins do not survive because they are considered as evil. When to stop? Charity could be endless. Religious dynamic needs creativity and aim to train into professional life. I visit briefly 8 parrishes where calenders are delivered! Very long trip in a truck in the bushes along a dumpy track. Some children are happy to join for a few miles. Each parish is very different depending on the minister. One of them acted like a king. His land was tended like an elegant gulf course. An other lived like his parishioners and shared. They all have a rather big church and some are playing very loud Hallelouiyas! I am told that is to compete with the Muslims even though none live in the area. I am hosted by a Dutch minister and his family. His brothers are all in the Dutch army and one of them in Afganistan. They have 2 children and concerned about their schooling with no schools. They are responsible for the training of the ministers and their local actions. I also meet a local minister, a pleasant lady from Papua who tells me that her people will never work more than partial time as if it were in their genes. I realize that Julie Marie cannot be useful in this area. The only active persons are expatriates, mostly from Java, and they will not employ Papuans (like the chinese everywhere in Indonésia).
e.Back in Bali, short meeting with Loisa who is not returning to me the 6 Tickets from Jogya- Denpasar. She claims that the amount was given to her students. I do realise that we cannot procede with her. Promising trip to Kupang in Timor island! Rev. Eva Telnonny is in charge of a parish with 400 families. 3 busy days with her 50th wedding anniversary ceremony. I discover that all the family wear the same dress. Her husband is a theologist, teaching and writing and very proud and supportive of his wife’s action. A sewing course is planned for 2007.
Meeting in Sanur with Kris and Ratna and a spokesman from Kupang, Timor. The sewing course was a success. The best candidate bought 2 sewing machines, one for her husband employed as a tailor, and now independant as his wife. The location, a school for poor people's training was not appropriate. The sewing machines were used by others and not returned in good shape. We plan a second course in a different location.
Loisa completed our method with additional pages about how to make a blouse, dress and trousers. Ratna should add it to our book and include it in our table of contents. I also wish an english version.
Kris has met the national group for leprosy and wishes to organise a sewing group for them. I do refuse it. Leprosy poeple need empowerment through sewing but need to join other ladies from different communities.
Meeting in Yogyakarta with Blanche, who represents the leprosy society and P.T. P.T.introduces Helene Blanc, mother of Michael who was jailed 8 years ago for drug dealing (which he denies). She has created an association which raised money to protect her son. A local lawyer is in charge: no death penalty and better conditions in his jail. Hélène will help us as a translator. He also introduces Father Sandi and we visit his space where a very poor community is displaced because of new buidings. This space is well run, clean, with water and toilets. A small ensemble is created. One man is responsible for internet and a lady is in charge of finances. We also meet Lyn Chandra who is in charge of a hospital for HIV patients, among which there are many adolescents. They could also benefit from JulieMarie! Finally, a visit in Tengarang where Blanche works and where a sewing course is planned.
Meeting in Jakarta planned by P.T. The money covering the hotel 3 nights for the participants has been kept by Mr. Hotomo’s secretary. She has disappeared! Mr. Hotomo, fervent Catholic and excellent businessman, is offering some space in his stores for our products. We learn that Father Sandi is having major personal problems and will not work with us. This meeting did not lead anywhere. P.T wishes to be the leader and I disagree.
Trip to Radjastan with Ratna. We went to see Nila Moti, a Swiss foundation which sells its products in Switzerland. Fiona is our guide, but she never heard about Nila Moti. She is very active in her neighbourhood. Sje trains women to embroider, prepare the works, and check them. Tthe good ones are paid and those no good will be reassessed next time. These women are enthusiastic. When Fiona arrives she is acclaimed and those working for her meet, everybody on the ground. An accountant (Fiona’s husband) is paying and the ladies sign for receipt. Some cannot sign and have to ask another person.
Nila Moti is located in Kimsar, a big square building where 73 ladies work happily. Some work by hand, some with a sewing machine and make clothes which are sold in Switzerland. They have a decent and regular salary and the use of a savings bank. Their working rythm is slow l compared to what is done in our country. It is efficient. We then visit Jodpur, Ranakpur, and Udaipur. Ratna is to handicapped to visit as I wish. Meeting in Salatiga with Kris
Ratna gives a good report of what we have seen in Nila Moti. Kris is very concerned about leprosy. She has met the national board for leprosy. Each leprosy patient is moved with his or her family into isolated “villages”. They are all cured. If they have to go to a hospital they will be treated by specialised doctors where they feel so comfortable that they wish to stay. I discover that leprosy is not taught in medical schools. One discrimination whose only beneficiaries are the employees of this organisation.
Meeting in Jakarta. Eny Telnony from Kupang, Blanche, and Hermien, journalist of tempo, are there. P.T. is not coming, I have refused to cover 14 nights for 2 days of attendance and he will keep his contacts away from Julie-Marie. The course in Tengarang is planned as well as one in Makassar in the hope to teach also the leprosy ladies. Eny wishes to have a postgrad course and is happy to let us know that a local store has opened for sewing with machines and fabrics. No longer need to import those. Hermien is thrilled with our action and stays for the meeting. She takes pictures. Her article will never be published. Lengthy debate with Blanche and her goal in her leprosy society. She keeps sending the new cases and their family into isolated villages and advises me to watch Yamachin.org. It is a site which describes what is done for leprosy families and is asking for donations. Ratna has started her business wih 35 employees and good contracts with stores like Matahari, who orders and sells her products. We give her a loan to buy the machines. She will reimburse it in small installments from 2013.
JulieMarie is offering a tablet to Kris. Meeting in Makassar as the sewing course is taking place. No leprosy candidatse from the neighborhood like in Tengarang. There 2 male candidates from Tulunagung from a leprosy center. They are ill chosen, one of them has a very poor eyesight and the other is hospitalised for 10 days. I realise that the persons in charge of leprosy do not want to empower their people. They will be able to make up with the course working extra hours and weekends. Ratna is disppointed with the teacher who does not even use our method! ̈He is thrilled to discover in Matahari the clothes from her business.
3 week post graduate course in Makassar supervised by Ratna. Her physical health is deteriorating and she refuses medical help. I offered to cover her medical expenses. Her family situation gets worse, her brother and step sister took over her business and she does not want to take a lawyer!
Meeting in Jogya with 4 graduates who are able and open to teach or start a business in sewing. I have beforehand visited the ongoing course in Sentolo and introduced hand embroidery and three basic stiches: straight, stem stich, and chainstich.Tthe students are enthusiastic, and I wish that Ratna introduces it in our method.
Sister Angela describes the course in Cilicing, the candidates miss many days because of personal problems which have to be solved rapidly. None could graduate. We decide to leave one sewing machine in her center which could be used under her supervision.
In Sentolo many good news, one of the best participants bought 2 machines and has trained his father in sewing. Another has received many orders for a wedding: 200 bags as presents to the participants! I meet Theophanny whom we invited from Ambon. She is an excellent choice as a leader. She teaches psychology for future teachers.
No meeting as I am not available, but many emails with Kris and Ratna. In Ambon, Theophany has disappeared. Hopefully Kris has a good contact there and a course is planned starting in November.
Course in Medan (Sumatra) organised and supervised by Ratna. I wished to have more Muslims since Sumatra is 90% Muslim and some leprosy candidates as well.
Last meeting june 5th in Burubudur. I receive the narrative and financial report from Ambon. 11 out of the 19 participants were very good and the local trade office will support the candidates and provide them with a market. In Medan also 19 students among which 3 in wheelchairs. 17 are buying the machines. Ratna wishes to help them with a postgrad course. We have to decide to stop offering work to Ratna who is no longer self supportive. She is sorry being unable to pay her debts and I do decide with Kris that we will not give an other post grad course in Salatiga as long as Ratna is not self supportive.
The experience was outstanding. Politics in Indonesia and in Switzerland are very different. Segregation based on poverty or leprosy is appalling, and it is difficult to combine islamic and christian candidates. Candidates should be chosen on the basis of their motivation to find a paying job, since a free course is always bargain, unfortunately without a tomorrow!
It was essential to stay creative and to avoid repetition, while keeping in touch with the preceding courses and their good students. The microcredit system for financing the sewing machines allowed the organizers to stay in touch with former students. It also allowed them to reinvest into another course, to buy material for a greeting center, and to help deserving candidates recruit other workers.
Kris wishes to give a month-long post-grad course which will take place from June 1st to 30th in Salatiga!! I accept the proposed budget of 573 million rupees. This is for 20 participants from Kupang Ambond, Medan and Makassar, plus two tutors, Ratna and Eko Purwanto! The twenty participants have received their certificates.
The course on Larantuka will be the last course!