Making a mark

The Rolex Awards for Enterprise have consistently championed remarkable individuals dedicated to improving the planet and humanity. The 2023 Laureates continue this legacy with their impressive endeavours.

Working with the World Bank opened Denica Riadini-Flesch’s eyes to the struggles of local communities in her native country, Indonesia. She realised that what rural workers needed was not aid, but fair and commensurate wages. Having moved to Rotterdam to study and work, she made a conscious decision to return to her homeland with a mission: to change the textile industry in a way that would benefit everyone.

In 2016, she founded Sukkhacitta, a farmto-closet enterprise. Despite the fact that Indonesia is one of the world’s largest clothing manufacturers, less than 2 per cent of its garment and textile workers, the majority of whom are women, earn a living daily wage.

Determined to change the narrative, Denica built an e-commerce platform dedicated to selling high-quality, traditionally crafted clothing handmade by indigenous female artisans. Since then, Sukkhacitta has expanded its scope, and built craft schools for women to perpetuate their indigenous culture. These endeavours have resulted in a 60 per cent average increase in wage earnings, with a ripple effect on the overall well-being of families and societies. As women increasingly take charge of their household’s finances, the nutrition and education of the village’s children improve, laying the foundation for continued sustainable development.

The second problem Denica faced was an environmental one. It is standard practice in the fashion industry to use toxic dyes. Also, almost all of Indonesia’s cotton is imported, and grown on enormous monoculture farms using harmful chemicals. She found her solution in the traditional farming techniques of the very communities she is working with.