Greetings from SUMBA #20

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CURRENT LOCATION: Sumba, Indonesia

LOCAL TIME: 22h30

LOCAL TEMPERATURE: 24 degrees

CURRENTLY READING: Things fall apart by Chinua Achebe

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Hi there!

I hope you are all well and safe, the latter a privilege these days looking at what’s going on in the world. Things are falling apart (coincidentally the title of the book I am currently reading by Chinua Achebe), and it’s overwhelming. Upon discussing this with someone, they told me “It might be the opportunity to rebuild things better”. Let’s hope it is. The past weeks in Sumba, since combing back from Nepal, have been packed! Packed with projects, events, books, writing, working and most over joy. All these separate things came down to the same idea: think globally act locally.

Think Globally, Act Locally | Fashion Revolution Week 2025

As mentioned in my previous newsletter that took us to KARAJA, last week was Fashion Revolution Week, with the year theme “Think globally, act locally”. This could have not been a better fit with the projects I have been working on over the past year. The idea is to tackle issues locally, with and for the community who best understands what they need. Connecting these communities, and how certain solutions can be replicated (with needed adoptions for them to be appropriate of course), turns the local into something global. This is the complete opposite of globalization which is driven by mass-production (and thus mass-consumption) and homogenization (everything looking the same, “one size fits all”). We can all learn from one another, hierarchies are not natural, but a construct made by human “we and them”, “better and lower”, “more valid and invalid”, “western science and native science” …

For this edition of Fashion Revolution Week, we focused on education. We did daily posts on our Karaja Upcycling Hub page, covering various themes from Earth Day, to the Rana Plaza disaster back in 2013 when 1134 garment workers died and over 2500 were injured after a garment factory collapsed. Living waves were also covered, just as the work of the Or Foundation (which I was able to visit in Ghana, read my story here and here) and inspirational business models like Pable Indonesia which recycles textiles and involves local communities in the process through job creation and education.

Think Globally, Act Locally | Upcycling with Karaja

No better way to spend Fash Rev Week than by upcycling. On Monday and Tuesday I went back to the weavers to continue our upcycling classes. This was my 5th time there since starting in January, facilitating over 60 hours of classes in total and it has been such a joy! This past session felt special, as if something clicked, both for Ibu Yuli, Ibu Anas, Kaka Rabu and Kaka Yuli, but also for me. I have learnt so much from taking it slow. Rushing things doesn’t get you far, but by patiently considering, asking, listening, going back to an idea and letting it evolve does change things. Asty has been so important in this whole process, and I am proud I have been able to develop my work in co-creation with the weavers’ community.

We created some fun patchwork posters "with the slogans “I upcycled your clothes” and “Think Globally, Act Locally”, continued our zigzag patchwork and introduced a beautiful new pouch, adding another skill to their range. I also taught them an introductory class about Fashion Revolution, slowly planting some seeds about sustainable fashion and what that can concretely mean to them.

Think Globally, Act Locally | Teaching Ibu Bumi Philosophy & Upcycling

This past week was really all about education, as I turned Saturday into a Sustainable Fashion day for my SHF students. The morning class introduced them to the basics of sustainable fashion, mostly by uncovering its dirty secrets. We talked about garment workers, their devastating working conditions and the consequences of ultra fast fashion drive by social media platforms like TikTok. I heard a lot of gasps, wide open eyes, “oh my god teacher” and tons of questions.

They were fascinated by the hard facts of the industry, and appealed by how harmful it is for people and planet. I am sure it’s their ancestral roots that are still strongly connected to textiles, weaving and sustainability sparking their interest. In the afternoon we did a fun sewing workshop where they could make their own keychain of leftover textiles, or help create zero-waste baskets from old school uniforms. Very low-key, no pressure, just slowly stitching up a small souvenir from SHF they can hold onto. Slow is impactful, especially in an era where “time is money”. In fact taking your time in itself is an act of resistance.

Think Globally, Act Locally | Connecting with Nia

The past weeks have also brought a very nice encounter with Nia, who is originally from Waikabubak, a small city around 1 hour from SHF. She has quite an extraordinary story as she secured herself a full scholarship to study at Colombia University’s Teachers College for two years. She has been back for almost a year now and is dedicated to give back to her community. She wrote a beautiful illustrated children’s book about the Spirit of Sumba, and not forgetting about your roots: Cerita Meri (meaning: Meri’s story). She is planing on turning it into a series, and I hope we can create its next edition with a focus on conservation. Over the past weeks she has been going around schools sharing the book, giving teacher trainings and connecting with Sumba’s next generation. I invited her to teach a class at SHF to inspire our students that anything is possible. Seeing a role model that looks like you, is what actually makes you believe big things are possible for you as well. She shared about her journey and let the students create their dream maps which they shared with their friends.

How am I thinking and Acting?

Acting locally is something Sumba taught me. I came from an educational system where there is a lot of talking, conceptualizing and designing, but not a lot of doing. In Sumba you don’t have that choice and learning mostly happens while doing. It’s been a liberation to do so, and to see the impacts of the work you in real life. Moreover, when thinking of what’s going on across the globe (I don’t want to think too much about it because I cannot grasp the devastation of the multiple ongoing genocides), I can at least root myself locally here in Sumba. I hope and am sure, many other people are doing the same across the globe: acting locally. Because while some in power (hello white male leaders) might (they surely do) underestimate us, it are their systems that are now falling apart, and we are ready to rebuilt them for the better. Rise and resist for collective liberation.

Talk soon!
Hestie -x-