Recently, I returned home from a mesmerising and busy 12-day sourcing trip to Indonesia.
After 2.5 years, it was great to travel overseas again. Seeing my old friends and suppliers after so long certainly makes one appreciate travel so much more. I had missed rummaging through old dusty warehouses to find those one-of-a-kind treasures and I can't wait to show you what I found when the next container lands late July.
But firstly, I want to share with you my visit to a foundation close to our hearts here at Coastal Vintage and the mothers that make our range of glasses.
Bali Street Mums Project was established by Kim Farr, (pictured below) over 6-years ago to help rescue children and mothers from the streets and rubbish dumps of Bali.
These beautiful women and children have sadly experienced the most extreme poverty and abuse.
Today, they now have a safe place to live provided by the organisation and have also been taught skills to empower them. They can now work and earn a living rather than have to beg on the streets.
To date, more than 400 women and children have been helped by the organisation.
After a morning visit catching up with the gorgeous kids living at the safe house, Kim took me down the winding back streets of Denpasar to visit a few of the mothers that make a range of drinking glasses from recycled bottles that they collect from restaurants.
It was wonderful to see the process on how they are made. As a result of this initiative there are now 8 mums working in the business.
They are so happy and proud to be able to create a product that we are so excited to buy and sell.
The process in making these glasses is quite time consuming and labour intensive.
Here is Ibu Alyas measuring the bottles, then she cuts them with a special glass cutter imported from the USA and splits the bottle by warming it over a candle.
Then the rims are grounded to a smooth finished by Kadek who is in charge of running this project.
She once lived in the slums, pregnant and a mother of 5 children.
She left an abusive relationship and the only place that would accept her were the people in the rubbish dump.
These glasses make a great addition to any kitchen or bar, with a variety of colours and shapes determined by the bottles being recycled.
The range is ever changing, and can be found here on our website.
To find out more about this wonderful project and how you can help visit https://balistreetmums.org/
Follow @balistreetmums_project
