Why We Invested: Du Anyam
R.I.S.E. Artisan Fund Invests in Indonesian Artisan Enterprise, Du Anyam
R.I.S.E. Artisan Fund has joined Beneficial Returns, an impact investment manager, in a loan to Du Anyam, an artisan enterprise founded in 2014 to improve the lives of women and their children in rural Indonesia. Beginning with 8 women weavers in East Flores, Du Anyam now works with over 1,600 women across 54 rural villages in Indonesia.
Du Anyam (mother’s weaving in the local Flores language) has helped to reintroduce traditional wicker crafts to modern markets while creating sustainable income for these artisans. By providing entrepreneurial training, and creating both domestic and international distribution channels, the enterprise enhances the women’s financial stability while also improving their families’ access to nutritional food, healthcare and education.
Farming is the main occupation of the East Flores villagers in East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia. From modest farming lots in their backyards, women use their harvests for daily consumption and sell extra yields for income. However, seasonal harvests prone to crop failures do not generate sufficient income to cover living costs, such as transportation, health, or education, much less for unplanned expenses. The women needed better financial resilience through a more stable year-long income source not susceptible to weather or diseases.
By offering a livelihood alternative to seasonal farming, Du Anyam provides an opportunity for these rural women to earn cash income to pay for education and health care for their children. When the first cohort of women weavers shared their experiences with women from other villages, these women also began weaving for Du Anyam. They knew that they could earn an income from their weaving with palmyra leaves, and that working with Du Anyam would open opportunities for their families as well.
With the support of partner organizations, Du Anyam provides social benefits not only to the women weavers, but also to their communities by providing scholarships, nutritional packages, reading glasses, solar lamps and building water wells in three villages to provide easier access to clean water for the communities..
Du Anyam enables weavers to create handcrafted products that not only honor their culture but also resonate with global buyers by refining traditional designs based on customer requirements, as well as by improving production quality and consistency. This approach ensures that the value of the women weavers’ craft is fully recognized for both its aesthetic and economic benefits. Du Anyam produces corporate souvenirs, hotel amenities, and home decor collections that are available in domestic and international markets.
“We believe that business sustainability and social impact can go hand in hand when there is a balance between innovation, collaboration and a strong commitment to our vision for social and environmental impact,” explained Melia Winata, one of the three founders. “Through this approach, Du Anyam can continue to create economic opportunities for more women while maintaining sustainable business growth. We want to demonstrate that balancing impact and profit doesn’t have to come at the expense of one or the other.”
An Indonesian weaver uses palmyra leaves to create baskets and other home decor items for Du Anyam. Raw materials which are grown and harvested locally, and then handwoven, reduce the carbon footprint of Du Anyam’s home decor collections. © 2025 Du Anyam
One of the primary ways Du Anyam supports sustainability is by using local raw materials with a low carbon footprint. Local raw materials not only reduce carbon emissions from transportation but also support the local economy. Purun, a type of natural fiber that grows in peat or wetlands in South Kalimantan, is one example of the sustainable raw materials Du Anyam uses for production.
Purun has a positive impact on the environment, especially in wetland ecosystems. This plant helps bind soil and prevent erosion, and controls flooding by absorbing excess water. Purun also provides habitat for wildlife, supporting biodiversity. Furthermore, purun absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping mitigate the effects of climate change. With these benefits, purun plays a vital role in maintaining ecosystem balance and environmental sustainability. By using purun, Du Anyam not only produces environmentally friendly products but also helps preserve local ecosystems.
Established in 2014, Du Anyam improves the lives of women and their families in rural Indonesia by utilizing traditional crafts using local materials to produce contemporary home goods, corporate gifts and accessories that appeal to global buyers.
Building on its commitment to sustainability, Du Anyam launched the low-carbon Bhumi Binara collection as an eco-concsious innovation to advance carbon neutrality. The collection reflects a
three-pronged climate-focused strategy: 1) innovative biodegradable materials from locally sourced palmyra leaves and fermented vegan coffee leather are incorporated in the product design; 2) comprehensive carbon counting includes detailed assessments of raw materials, production and transport for transparency and emission reduction opportunities; and 3) carbon emission mitigation in partnership with FairAtmos to offset calculated emissions through a certified geothermal energy project in North Sulawesi, registered under the National Registry System.
“The steps taken by Du Anyam demonstrate that business can go hand in hand with sustainability. By focusing on sustainable business practices, using local, low-carbon raw materials, and reducing carbon emissions, Du Anyam serves as a clear example of how a company can play an active role in environmental conservation, “ explained Azalea Ayuningtyas, another of Du Anyam’s co-founders. “Du Anyam is not only moving toward a greener future but also setting an inspiring example for other companies. This is proof that environmentally conscious businesses can create significant positive change for both the planet and society.”
Du Anyam’s approach in finding sustainable solutions to complex socio-economic issues in East Nusa Tenggara is now replicated in other areas of Indonesia, where Du Anyam creates unique products made from Waru tree bark from Papua and purun grass from South Kalimantan.
Ted Levinson, CEO of Beneficial Returns noted, “Our work at Beneficial Returns is grounded in a simple idea: impact deepens over time when capital is patient, values-aligned, and catalytic. We’ve seen it again and again: a single loan enabling a business to grow, employ more people, reach underserved communities, or scale climate solutions. And when we return with more capital, the impact doesn’t just continue — it multiplies.”
Both Beneficial Returns and R.I.S.E. Artisan Fund have provided patient capital to Du Anyam previously. For Beneficial Returns, this loan is a second working capital loan, and for R.I.S.E. Artisan Fund, this is follow-on funding to the market development grant provided to Du Anyam in 2023. This loan originated by Beneficial Returns will support Du Anyam’s growing business partnership with global buyers and its rising production demand.
An initiative of Sprout Enterprise®, the R.I.S.E. Artisan Fund invests in artisan enterprises creating sustainable livelihoods for rural communities with few economic alternatives. Women’s empowerment, sustainability and clean energy innovation are key investment themes of the fund. Named as one of the Transformative 25 Funds in 2022 and 2021, R.I.S.E. Artisan Fund has been recognized by Integrated Capital Investing for transforming finance to benefit people and the planet and is a member of the Collective Action for Just Finance.
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