Cirebon rattan craftswomen bring their subcontracting businesses onto PasarMIKRO

Behind every rattan product that reaches the global market, there is a woman who wakes up before dawn, finishes her household chores, and then spends the rest of her day weaving. In Cirebon, PasarMIKRO works alongside skilled rattan subcontractors: women who have turned a traditional craft into a steady livelihood.

The challenge

Rattan subcontractors are micro-enterprises. The women who run them fit production around their household responsibilities, often with a small team of employees or family members. Their businesses depend on a steady stream of orders, reliable raw material, and clear payment for the work they deliver.

What we did

PasarMIKRO brings these subcontractors onto its platform, giving them more transparent transactions and the digital tools to grow their businesses. Three of them:

Bu Nenti

Bu Nenti has 10 years in the rattan craft industry. She runs her production independently with a team of five employees, working from 7 am to 4 pm every day after her household responsibilities. Her proudest achievement is a steady stream of orders, and the consistency to fulfil every one of them. She recently joined the PasarMIKRO platform, part of the next group of micro-enterprises getting ready to work digitally.

Bu Karminah

Bu Karminah, 53, also has 10 years of experience. She works set hours, 8 am to 12 pm and then 1 pm to 4 pm, with support from her family. Transparency matters to her: since connecting with PasarMIKRO, she has found the payment and transaction system significantly clearer. Her work reflects quality, perseverance and independence, values passed down through generations.

Bu Tin Kartini

Bu Tin Kartini leads a small team of young workers aged 18 to 20. She is not only a subcontractor but a mentor to the next generation of craftswomen. With 10 years in the industry, she works every day after her domestic responsibilities and takes pride in fulfilling orders smoothly and in volume.

PasarMIKRO’s rattan industry program is supported by DEG Impulse and IKEA Social Entrepreneurship, partners who share our belief that strengthening grassroots supply chains is both a social need and a sound investment. Together, we are building a model that connects skilled craftswomen to formal markets, digital tools and sustainable income.

Results

• Subcontractors on the platform have more transparent transactions. Bu Karminah has seen the payment and transaction system become significantly clearer since she connected with PasarMIKRO.
• New micro-enterprises, such as Bu Nenti’s, are joining the platform.

What is next

Raw material reliability, order continuity and broader digital onboarding still need work, and more partners can make a real difference here. We are looking for investors, NGOs and funding organizations who believe in women-led micro-enterprises and sustainable craft supply chains.

If that sounds like you, write to us at hello@pasarmikro.id.