Hands that weave, hearts that lead: Stories of rural women finding their voice

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Posted: Oct 15, 2025 • 4 minute read • SMART • 4 Likes

**Yolanda Ica Aprilia**
Community Economic Empowerment Officer

In rural Indonesia, women do more than tend to fields and families. They shape livelihoods, preserve traditions, and quietly drive change. Yet, their stories often go untold. With the right support, their hands can shape communities. Yolanda Ica Aprilia has witnessed this power up close. As a Community Economic Empowerment Officer at GAR, she works side by side with women in villages across Indonesia, helping them uncover their strengths and turn traditions into opportunity.

This International Day of Rural Women on 15 October, Ica honours the mothers, artisans, entrepreneurs, and leaders she meets. Her journey is a reminder that change often begins in the most common of places – at home, in the village, and through small acts of courage and care.

The work begins with listening

Ica’s path into community empowerment started with a passion for people and a love for social work. Long before she joined GAR, she was active in campus organisations and volunteer projects, always eager to connect challenges with solutions.

For Ica, empowerment is rooted in presence and respect. “Empowerment is a process of helping communities find their own solutions,” she shares. When Ica visits a village, she starts by listening. Through field visits and open conversations, she helps each community to uncover hidden strengths and build the support they need.

Her approach is rooted in reality. She maps local resources, identifies both opportunities and barriers, and brings together partners to help communities grow from the inside out.

A craft, a bond, a way forward

Some of Ica’s most inspiring work happens in Dendang village, West Bangka, Indonesia, where women weave resam (Dicranopteris linearis) and nipah (Nypa fruticans) leaves into baskets and crafts passed down for generations.

“We found about 500-600 active weavers in Dendang,” Ica explains. “Weaving is part of their heritage, something they do together, while watching TV or chatting with neighbours.”

But tradition alone isn’t enough. The weavers faced limited product variety, little market access, and gaps in basic business skills.

Through the Srikandi programme, Ica and her team ran workshops on product innovation and group collaboration, helping the weavers reach new buyers. Today, their nipah baskets and resam accessories are finding customers far beyond their village. The group has even received orders from as far away as Bali.

Ica and her team join community gatherings, adapt to local routines, and always make space for creativity. This way, the women feel respected and heard, leading to more active collaboration and new product ideas.

When women grow, communities follow

Beyond Bangka, Ica has seen women rise as leaders. In Belitung, she met Meissy, who started as a quiet participant in a micro-enterprise workshop. With consistent mentoring and business training, Meissy grew both her business and her confidence. Now, she’s a coach for other women and a speaker at Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) trainings.

Such stories reinforce Ica’s belief that supporting women brings more than increased income. “When rural women have the right opportunities and support, they become agents of social change,” Ica reflects. “The magic of women supporting women creates a ripple effect that improves wellbeing for families and entire villages.”

When women grow, communities follow — *Meissy proudly holds up her own product line of kerupuk crackers – the result of her journey from a soft-spoken participant in a micro-enterprise workshop to a confident entrepreneur and mentor.*

What women bring, and what they teach

Ica has learned just as much from the women she supports as they have from her. Their resilience and creativity shine brightest in the face of limited resources. “They’ve shown me that you don’t need a big budget to make a big impact. It just takes courage, consistency, and the willingness to start,” she says.

Her experience has shifted her approach. While programme targets matter, Ica now places greater value on empathy, listening, and emotional connection. Empowerment, she’s learned, is as much about being present as it is about delivering results.

Looking ahead, Ica and her team are working to scale up their women’s empowerment programme. Their goal is to reach more villages, provide technical assistance, and strengthen branding and market access, all for lasting impact for more women. “We want to help more women stand tall, grow their businesses, and support their families,” Ica says.

Empowerment starts small but grows far. See how rural women turn skills into livelihoods through our Bright Future Initiative. Find out how in our five-stage journey.