S A Y A Designs
Who are you and what do you make?
My name is Victoria and I started S A Y A Designs nearly 18 months ago. S A Y A Designs creates unique, handcrafted hair accessories made from salvaged root wood in Indonesia. We take a waste material and turn it into something beautiful and purposeful. Designed from nature, handmade by artisans in Bali, and backed by a passionate commitment to the environment; these are hair sticks on a mission.
My background is in the arts and I moved to Bali at the end of 2016 to work on a programme there. I fell in love with the nature and the community drive. I was so inspired by the number of startups, co-working spaces and environmental based businesses on the island that I wanted to set up a consistent way to create an impact.
After reading about the circular business model and the Toxic Charity, it lead me to question, what is the right way? During this time, I was also learning about the monumental problems of illegally exporting hardwoods around the globe. Soon after, I came across a group of woodcarvers who were salvaging ‘root wood’ and waste parts left over by the logging Industry. So, I asked if I could buy their offcuts; I had to think of a product that was small (to make use of the offcuts), functional (to have a purpose) and be unique…. and S A Y A was born!
S A Y A is dedicated to creating excitement and awareness around the issues we believe in. We want to invite others to deepen their understanding of environmental and wildlife conservation issues, and get involved in their protection. We want to add beauty to people’s lives by creating things with a real story to tell and this is only the beginning.
Who do you work with?
Currently, it’s mostly myself working remotely from the UK. However, I have a small and wonderful team who are spread out around the world. In Germany is Corinna, we met at the very beginning of my crowdfunding campaign and she has been one of my secret weapons ever since. She helps me with admin and communications as well as crucial moral support. There is Adit who is from Bandung in Indonesia (currently living in Bali) who helps me project manage S A Y A on the ground and oversee production. Then there is our small group of wood carvers lead by Yudi who is our master carver and he manages our orders.
Our partner organisation, GAIA, is based in Central Java but works all across Indonesia, supplying seeds, and training farmers and communities to support their ecosystems. GAIA is responsible for planting our trees and the seeds are closely monitored for up to five years before they can be replanted into the surrounding areas of the National Protected Forests. Our commitment is that for every hair stick purchased, we will buy and plant up to ten seeds. As of today, (over 18 months) we have planted 2118.
What makes your products so unique and a healthy alternative for your hair?
Wood actually absorbs the natural oils in your hair making it a much better alternative. It doesn't break or damage your hair like plastic or elastic. Also, it’s much longer lasting and biodegradable.
Tell us about the mission for each of your products.
The mission for every hair stick is that it will contribute to replanting our rainforests, support endangered species and their habitats. For S A Y A, the impact comes from planting new trees in comparison to the amount of wood we use. For example, from one trunk we can create about 300 hair sticks. With that, we can plant between 300 to 3000 trees depending on what design is purchased. We also focus on hardwood endangered and endemic species that are vital for the ecosystem and CO2 exchange.
What inspires you?
Nature and all the beautiful living creatures that it supports.