Empowerment

Empowerment is the driving force behind our social mission. We believe that economic and social empowerment begins with skill-building and capacity development. Through our programs, we provide weavers and artisans with the tools, training, and resources they need to scale up their skills and improve their livelihoods. We also mentor new business startups, sharing our knowledge and experience to help them succeed. By empowering women—who are often the backbone of the hand-woven textile industry—we create a ripple effect of positive change, strengthening families and communities while preserving cultural heritage.

Training

One Time Training

Fundamental understanding of weaving, product development, and business — delivered through technical sessions and inspiring workshops.

Some of our one time training projects

Short Time Program

It is a training project held in a short period of time between 1 to 5 days. This project is funded by donor agencies, government agencies, corporate CSR projects, and BUMN. The beneficiaries of this project are assisted partners from institutions providing funding.

Some of our short time program sessions

Long Term Program

This is a 6- to 2-year programme that includes training, monitoring, and evaluation. This programme is financed by donor agencies, government agencies, business CSR programmes, and state-owned companies with specified location and recipients.

Some of our long term program workshops

Join us in empowering women artisans through our weaving and entrepreneurship training programs. Together, let’s create a ripple effect of positive change in our community!

Connect with Us

Internship

Lawe’s internship program is designed for university students, young researchers, or individuals seeking hands-on involvement in the traditional weaving ecosystem rooted in community empowerment.

Interns will gain practical experience across various areas of Lawe’s operations — from weaving production and product development to social communication and cultural campaigns.

Throughout the program, participants are not merely observers; they actively contribute to real processes — designing content, assisting in training sessions, supporting product curation, and even engaging directly with weavers in the field.

Research

UGM Marketing Strategy Research

Research by undergraduate students of Gadjah Mada University on marketing strategies carried out by LAWE.

Atma Jaya Social Enterprise Research

Atma Jaya Yogyakarta student research, on LAWE as a social enterprise institution

WFL (Weaving for Life)

Weaving for Life is an initiative to weave stories of women handweaver’s life and their handwoven across Indonesia, preserves and connect them to you.

In most part of Indonesia, women weave for their living by making tenun (Indonesian language for handwoven). The purpose is beyond economic. This intricate fabric has been with us since centuries ago that it has reserved rooted functions – from social, religious, up to aesthetic purposes.

Tenun are widespread in at least 29 provinces in Indonesia. Each place, has their own identities. Some make it simple by buying threads and weave them by machine. Some dare to go extra miles to keep the tradition alive.

In villages in East Nusa Tenggara, women weavers start the tenun making by spin the cotton, mix the natural dyes, and design the patterns inspired by their day-to-day life and beliefs. Some would include resemblance of rivers and mountains in their tenun. The other would have their pray all over the fabrics. It’s like painting with threads.

These traditional style faces the challenges of modern day. One, the decreasing weavers. Two, competition from factory-made textiles. Three, the time-consuming production process. This realistic economic need has often trumped the preservation of traditional value, making the original tenun harder to find.

A visual journey of WFL program

Bonding thread in mud to get black color in Tokbesi Village, North Biboki, Central Timor Regency, NTT

A traditional weaver mama from South Central Timor, East Nusa Tenggara, is hand-spinning cotton.

Exploration of natural dye sources from the local environment, followed by hands-on yarn dyeing practice.

A weaver in Cawas, Klaten, Central Java, is winding threads in preparation for weaving.

Introduction to the motifs and philosophy of Bayan woven textiles from North Lombok for the next generation.

Woven textile product development training in Kajang, South Sulawesi.

Sisterhood of Lawe

Sisterhood of Lawe is a collaborative initiative open to individuals and organizations who share a common mission

Sisterhood of Lawe offers an opportunity for partners to contribute to the preservation of Indonesia’s traditional weaving and to explore its economic potential through product innovation.

The program brings together partners from various regions — individuals, communities, and organizations — to collaboratively create woven-based products that are marketable, culturally grounded, and have a direct impact on artisans in their respective areas.