From Disaster Comes Opportunity

The van Broekhuizen’s handbag business offers economic opportunity for Indonesian tsunami victims.

Laga Designs International, Inc., is a business with a mission. When Roy van Broekhuizen went to Indonesia as a relief coordinator after the 2004 tsunami, he saw scene after scene of total devastation-homes wiped out, schools and businesses flattened, and families fractured. But it was the survivors who affected him the most. “You would see them sitting on the floor, just traumatized. They had lost everyone and everything,” van Broekhuizen says.

When van Broekhuizen’s contract with his church’s relief service ended in February 2006, he and his wife, Louise, vowed that they would do anything they could to help the survivors of Banda Aceh, Indonesia, and the local economy. They found their solution in the one-of-a-kind embroidered handbags that Louise had purchased in the village. Encouraged by the interest that Louise’s bags were generating in their hometown of Santa Ana, California, the van Broekhuizens held a party at their condo and sold $2,000 worth of bags.

Soon, the van Broekhuizens were receiving via airmail up to 11 boxes of handbags at a cost of $250 per box. The couple brought in their first 40-foot shipping container of bags in August 2007. They have on hand as many as 6,000 handbags and 33 consultants to sell the bags through home parties. Laga handbags are also sold in area boutiques, at booths at accessories trade shows, and on e-retailer eBags.com. “We’re showing people something they’ve never seen before,” says Roy. “Each handbag is a piece of art.”

One hundred percent of Laga Designs’ profits go back into the business, including renting production facilities overseas and paying wages for 150 tsunami survivors in Banda Aceh. Laga Designs’ products, which also include belts, wallets, and travel duffels, incorporate native patterns passed down from generation to generation. Even the name of the van Broekhuizen’s company is indigenous–Laga is a variation of the Acehnese word for beautiful–and each product line is given an Acehnese word.

The van Broekhuizens are trying to balance their explosive growth with their current inventory. “We don’t know what’s going to sell, so we have to juggle all the different styles, colors, and sizes,” Roy explains. With a supplier half a world away, filling orders quickly can present challenges. For example, with eBags, the couple has to ship an order within 48 hours. “We’re trying to get warehouse space. We can’t work out of our garage anymore.”
The growing pains are worth it, according to Roy. “To see those women now, how they are so empowered–it gives us all hope. We do our little part to help people, and it makes us realize how lucky we are.”

Originally published June 2008. Reprinted by permission, uschamber.com, June 2008. Copyright©2008, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

June 4th, 2008, 9:30 am · Post a Comment · posted by Hang Nguyen

An Irvine company’s handbags may land in the Smithsonian Christmas and/or jewelry catalogs.

Laga Designs International’s five purses and a wallet have passed a pre-selection stage for the catalogs, said Danette Nguyen, assistant buyer for the Smithsonian catalogs.

The products in the Smithsonian catalogs are picked because they relate in some way to its museums’ collections. That allows it to keep its non-profit status.

The Laga bags will relate to the Asian ethological collection at the National Museum of Natural History. The collection comprises of 30,000 objects from Southeast Asia, Nguyen said.

The Laga bags are handmade by more than 150 tsunami victims in Aceh, the Indonesian province that was destroyed by the earthquake and subsequent tidal waves on Dec. 26, 2004.

The nearly three-year-old Laga business allows founder Roy Van Broekhuizen, pictured above, to reconnect with his childhood. His family, part Dutch and part Indonesian, fled Indonesia when he was 9.

A Smithsonsian buyer came across the Laga handbags at a trade show in Las Vegas.

The institution plans to sell these pieces from $30 to $140, slightly higher than what they go for on Laga’s Web site. The Harapan “Hope” purse, pictured right, which Laga retails from $130 to $190, is one of the bags Smithsonian is considering.

The local company will find out in about two to three weeks whether it made the final cut for the Smithsonsian catalogs that arrive in homes in October, Nguyen said.

(Register photo of Van Broekhuizen and his wife Louise with their bags. Other photo from Laga Web site.)

19th Annual Holland Festival Sunday, May 25, 2008 Gemmrig Park, Long Beach, California

Laga Handbags will have 2 booths at this festival,

please come and visit us.

Laga handmade handbags, fashion handbags, beaded bags and travel bags are unique

Roy & Louise van Broekhuizen

Laga handmade handbags, fashion handbags, beaded bags and travel bags are unique

By Susan Breslow Sardone, About.com

Regardless of whether you will be a bride at home or a destination wedding, you’ll need a bag to carry the essentials — tissues, lipstick, safety pins. You won’t want to hold the bag at the ceremony (turn it over to the maid of honor or a witness). But after the vows, you may want to keep the handbag nearby.

The best bride bags are small and match or complement the dress the bride wears. The bag should also fasten securely, just in case a guest wants to slip the bride a cash present.

Laga Handbags came in at #4…..

4. Helping Hands Bag for a Bride

Laga Design International bags are embroidered handbags handcrafted by tsunami survivors of Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Made of nylon, polyester, and cotton threads, this silvery clutch bag is woven in a flowery pattern native to Aceh province. It measures 10″ x 5.5″ x 0.5″ and has an optional 21″ strap. As a bonus, the bag comes with matching earrings that a bride can wear on her wedding day knowing she has helped the victims of disaster.

Read the entire article here!!!

Gorgeous Handmade Handbags from Indonesia: A Buyer’s Guide

When it comes to fashion handbags, the cookie-cutter variety are a dime a dozen. Thousands of them are produced in factories and sold in every town. But handmade handbags are delightful, rare treasures that any woman can be proud of. When a handbag is handmade, it is unique in many ways and reflects the skill and creativity of its maker. Many women in Indonesia choose to hand-stitch handbags to earn a living for their families. Their handbags are beautifully embroidered with amazing designs, but yet they usually possess the same or better quality as any factory-made handbag.

If you’re just yearning to own an elaborate - but unusual - handbag, here are some great tips. Let’s explore what types of Indonesian handbags are available and how to choose the right one for you.

Look for Practicality

Before falling in love with a certain design, be sure the handbag will meet your everyday needs. Do you need the handbag for work or play? Do you plan on using it every day or only for special evenings out on the town? Also, consider how many items you will need to carry in the handbag. Handmade handbags come in a variety of sizes and shapes. They range from petite to very large travel handbags. Some come with shoulder straps while others have hand straps. There are even very small make-up carriers for trips. It depends on how and where you plan to use it.

Choosing a Design and Color for Your Handmade Handbag

Handmade handbags come with a variety of styles and designs. Embroidery is used to create unique patterns such as diamonds, curved lines, circles, stars, and floral patterns. Indonesian handbags are often creatively labeled to express the type of design and color on the handbag. The words gift, live, great, eternal, recover, morning, believe, and so forth reflect the personality behind the purse as well as the style and color. Choose a style that matches several of your outfits, or that blends well with your body shape and hairstyle or color.

For spring and summer, there are colors such as red, cream, light blue, or olive. For fall and winter, colors such as black, dark brown, dark blue, and silver are excellent choices.

Help those in Need with Charity Bags

Another option to consider when buying an Indonesian handmade handbag is to shop for charity bags (or charity purses). Charity bags are made by those in Indonesia who need the money for daily food and supplies. Some companies in the United States offer to buy the handbags and resell them to Americans or through the Internet. A few companies will even train the workers and provide sewing and embroidery supplies to work with. One such company is Laga Handbags (online), which helps women who were survivors of the tragic tsunami of 2006 in Sumatra, Indonesia. The women workers of Indonesia are able to learn skills for a lifetime while providing a valuable service to handbag lovers.

When choosing a company for handmade handbags, research online to find companies that offer authentic Indonesian handbags, not replicas. The real handmade handbags are usually priced from $35 up to $150, depending on the style and size of the bag. Companies should provide detailed information about how and where the handbags are obtained, and where the company is located. Look for companies that are up-front about their procedures and customer policies.

A handmade handbag from Indonesia can also be a memorable surprise as a gift for Mother’s Day, Christmas, birthdays, or other occasions. The handbags are reliable and affordable, and the remarkable craftsmanship of Indonesian women makes them highly desirable in the fashion world. Go online today to find that perfect handmade handbag for you!

To learn more about subjects like handmade handbags please visit the web site at: http://www.laga-handbags.com/handbags.html

For more information and informative related articles and links about this subject matter and content, please visit Majon’s Clothing Accessories directory: http://www.majon.com/directory/Clothing_Accessories

About the Author

Chris Robertson is a published author of Majon International. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2007 (Thu May 08 2008) Majon International. Majon International is one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing and internet advertising companies on the web. Visit their main business resource web site at: http://majon.com

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
May I humbly request to pray for Myanmar for such a time as this. State of emergency declared in parts of Myanmar as she was hit by the Cyclone Nargis last night. Rangoon(Yangon) has been totally devastated. Most of the people have never experienced this kind of storm in their lives.
I tried to call to my family and all the people I know this whole day and it did not work as all the phone lines are damaged. The electric poles are flattened, trees are uprooted from the ground. Zinc sheets are in the street. People could not go out even no dog. I read this news from www.mizzima.com

You may read some news there.
I have been here in Bangkok for a week to attend conference. My husband and the two children and the rest of the family are in Yangon. My husband is joining me to attend conference this evening, but due to this situation I am not sure he could make it. Last night I woke up trembling. I have that kind of awake whenever something goes wrong. I prayed to God to protect my family, collegues and my people. Only this morning I came to know what happen when receiving email from a friend from Singapore that Yangon where I live has been damaged by the cyclone and it has been totally devastated.
Please pray that
1. People may have peace and receive help and assistance. Churches may take the initiative to help the people. Even christians may be helped in this kind of situation.
2. Our government may not be stubborned to receive help from international. They may allow churches to help the people in need. (I am very, very sad that we could not help our people. Our government never wants outside people know that there is natural disaster in Myanmar. Although they themselves could not help the people they never allow Christian groups or any association to give assistance to people whenever disasters come)
3. May the Lord show Himself and His compassion and glory to the people who reject Him and who need Him desperately.

Lift our people in your prayer to God. As I write this letter my heart is so grieved. May your prayers be answered and our people find relief in holistic ways.
Charity

This disaster reminds me so much of what happened in Aceh province where Louise and I have been helping and working since January 2005. It is again a reminder of how precious and vulnerable our lives are, and how short the time we have here on earth.

I can only add that we do not wait for things to happen but make things happen, whether you support a non profit locally or internationally by your donations, or be part of a volunteer team to help.

Any deeds done for those in need gain eternal rewards.

Roy van Broekhuizen

Chairman & CEO of Laga Designs International, Inc.

Laga handmade handbags from Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia

Today we received another encouraging email from our on-the-ground partners in Aceh that we had to pass on to you~ Our hearts are full with gratitude at the good news and we are so proud to be involved in such good work. Here is an excerpt from the latest report:

“One of the most exciting things in Aceh that has happened since the tsunami is the total change in the local people’s world view. The outlook that they had before the tsunami was very closed, isolated and narrow. There was very little outside exposure and basically since the education system had collapsed in the war, they posses very little education. I believe that this also helped to fuel the war in that whatever the people were told they believed and followed as there were never really any alternatives. Since the tsunami, the entire population has had tremendous international exposure. Phones, internet and other things now actually work quite well! The flood of international workers and money has worked to challenge and expose many of the assumptions in every day life in Aceh. This means that many people are now much more open to think and talk about things in different ways. The general population is now much more open and freer to new ideas than ever.”

What amazing news! And YOU have been a part of this change…

We want to thank those of you who have come alongside Laga Designs, whether you have become part of our family as a Laga Handbag Consultant, or hosted a Laga Home Party, or purchased a Laga handmade handbag or two or three (or four or more!)~ or volunteered in one of our workdays, or shared our story with your friends, family, co-workers and/or neighbors…

Although you might think your part has been small, together we have caused a big ripple in the hearts and minds of those in Aceh who, like you read above, are now much more open to think and talk about things in different ways.Your support of Laga handbags has caused some wonderful changes and we continue to work toward the goal of helping at least 1200 people who otherwise have no source of income or value or hope. We want to continue to encourage these tsunami survivors and feed their sense of being connected to people a world away, people in the United States who care enough about them to make sure they have a good job with good pay, a roof over their heads and food in their stomachs, and that they have the full assurance of being able to provide for their families after everything has been taken away from them.

Without you, we cannot help them and for that we are so grateful! Together we can make a difference!
This MOTHER’S DAY, please honor your loved ones with a Laga handmade handbag or two.

Please join us at our Laga Handbags boutique tomorrow:

Saturday, May 3rd
from 12 noon to 7:00pm (come anytime during these hours!!!)
40 Summerfield, Irvine, California (click here for directions)

If you are unable to join us, please give us a call to come at a later time or check out our stunning handbags online… there’s still time to order your special Laga handmade handbag to be delivered to your loved one in time for Mother’s Day! And remember: in doing so, you are giving more than just a present… you are providing the gift of life to someone in need.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Click here for directions

You can read our story at http://www.laga-handbags.com/about.html

Check out our blog at www.laga-handbags.com/events

“…when you buy a Laga bag you’re not just getting a beautiful handbag, you’re investing in the future of a precious life..”

Laga Travel Bags are handmade by survivors of the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia. Each artisan memorizes the traditional patterns and imbues them with their individual stamp. Struggling with having lost jobs, family members and the only home they ever knew, they are rebuilding their lives… one handbag at a time. When former tsunami Relief Coordinator for Saddleback Church, Roy Van Broekhuizen, and his wife, Louise, brought back some of the handbags and sold them at a home party. LAGA DESIGNS INTERNATIONAL, INC. was born. They still sell these stunning purses via home parties, as well as at retail boutiques and trade shows. Van Broekhuizen himself came to the US as an immigrant in 1961 and he says, “America has given me much and this is a small way of giving back.”

Info: 888-LAGA-BAG or www.laga-handbags.com .

Checkout Sushi and Sake magazine link here, http://www.sushiandtofu.com/Event_Entertainment/HereThere/2007-12HereThere.html

His younger brother, Rene, also helps feed the world. He is the Regional Chef of McCormick & Schmick Restaurants.

Pauley Perrette, who plays “Abby” on television’s NCIS, was touched by the Laga story we presented at Hollywood United Methodist Church in answer to their gracious invitation. We were blessed with Pauley and her personal assistant, Angela Garver, who purchased Laga handbags to show their support for the work we are doing in Aceh.

Pauley is shown above with her purchase of the “Rajin” and “Kuat” travel bags and “Apas” shoulder bag (not shown), while Angela purchased the “Sehat” and “Kasih” handbags.

Thank you, Pauley and Angela, for helping us to bring hope to victims of the 2004 tsunami!