The Gift That Keeps Giving

GIVING BACK

As a pre-vintage ritual to charge the batteries, our winemaker Jodie has made a habit of heading to Jakarta each year. The original trip was to visit expat friends, but it quickly became something more.

“The day before departing on my first visit, there was news of extensive flooding in Jakarta. I wasn’t deterred, but I quickly invested in a pair of gumboots. I wasn’t sure what was crazier; buying gumboots in 42oC McLaren Vale heat, holidaying in Jakarta (unheard of) or flying to a country in the middle of a natural disaster. I packed my suitcase with hand-me-down clothes to help those affected and took my flight.

I delivered the clothes to the British Women’s Association in Mampang Prapatan, where they were distributing the basics needed to the flood victims. Whilst there, I heard of a woman named Maria who formed a group teaching and empowering less-fortunate women. They all worked and lived on one of Jakarta’s refuse dumps. Maria was teaching them to sew, by which they could support themselves and their families enabling them to move away from lowly paid rubbish sorting.

On my second trip to Jakarta I was privileged to meet Maria and her hard-working passionate students who gain an improved life for their families.”

Sew & Sew have now started a program with Maria for the group to hand sew our beautiful gift bags. The money made from the bags goes directly to the community with no cuts along the way. The group creates an opportunity for the women to learn new skills; it creates self-esteem and feeds families. These families are the poorest of the poor, please help us to help them and buy a gift bag for your wine.