How Ni Made Roni's Made Tea empowers women and embraces sustainability in Bali

Indonesia Marketing Consultancy

30%

Increased sales

50%

Direct employment growth

100%

Strict natural farming

100%

Commitment to women’s economic independence

Made Tea, founded by Ni Made Roni in Bali, Indonesia, creates opportunities for local women through the cultivation, processing and packaging of naturally grown tea and herbs. Roni built her enterprise around strict natural farming practices, using only organic fertilisers and pesticides, and around a commitment to women’s economic independence. Over the past two years, her online collaboration with PUM and funding from PUM’s Hans Blankert Fund strengthened this mission and accelerated the growth.

PUM Impact Awards 2025

In 2025, Made Tea became one of the six winners of the PUM Impact Awards, which recognise SMEs that achieve sustainable, inclusive growth in partnership with PUM experts. Guided by PUM, Made Tea increased production, extended shelf life, improved branding and opened international markets. Sales are up by 30%, employment grew by 50%, and the business now purchases significant volumes of raw materials from women growers in Bali and Java. Ni Made Roni takes pride in adhering to strict natural farming practices, using only natural fertilisers and organic pesticides. Her model shows how natural cultivation and women-led production can expand into a stable, socially driven business.

Building a foundation for growth

The collaboration with PUM started through online advice on setting up a programme for women from her village. PUM expert Emmy Voltman advised Ni Made Roni remotely and concluded that, before such a training programme could start, Made Tea required a stronger internal set-up: a streamlined production process, better certification and packaging, and a clearer marketing direction.

A second PUM expert, Miranda Hesselmans, mentored Roni through this broader organisational strengthening process. “Miranda’s guidance introduced major changes to our company,” Roni explains. Improvements included proper bookkeeping and planning systems – vital for future decision-making – and clearer roles within the fast-growing team.

Scaling production

PUM representative Theo Vermeulen carried out a SWOT analysis and identified significant opportunities. Demand for tea bags far exceeded demand for loose tea, yet Made Tea’s manual packaging line produced only about 3,000 bags per day, and storage capacity was too low. To resolve these bottlenecks, Made Tea received support from PUM’s Hans Blankert Fund (HBF) which finances small, targeted investments for PUM clients. With this funding, the company was able to partially fund the purchase of a machine that can produce 8.000 tea bags per day. Furthermore, they bought a vacuum packing machine extending shelf life of the tea products and reducing storage space. These investments transformed processing capacity and created more consistent output, enabling higher production with the same number of employees.

As production volumes rose, demand for raw materials increased too, creating new income opportunities for women growers in Bali and Java. To ensure consistent product quality, Roni constructed a solar-powered drying greenhouse that allows year-round drying at stable temperatures. Women working in her facility are also covered by BPJS, the national health-insurance scheme, an important element of her commitment to decent work.

Expanding markets

Beyond production, PUM expert Sylvia Bark-Schram advised on marketing, branding and the webshop. She reviewed Made Tea’s online presence and suggested improvements for international audiences, strengthening the company’s digital profile and increasing conversions.

Theo Vermeulen confirms the impact: “International sales continue to rise. Made Tea is now supplying a chain of shops in the United States.” The company is preparing for its next phase: a larger production hall, more farmland and expanded community engagement.

An inclusive sustainable enterprise

To sustain this growth, Roni is establishing a structured training initiative for women farmers. She has approached around 250 women with small plots and aims to guide them in natural cultivation techniques that secure steady quality. Made Tea will purchase their produce at fair prices, creating stable income streams and broader social impact.

The rapid professionalisation of Made Tea shows what the combination of local entrepreneurship, trust and expert collaboration can achieve. The collaboration between Roni, the PUM representative and the PUM experts formed the backbone of this progress. Made Tea now stands as a clear example of inclusive economic development, rooted in women’s ambitions and sustainable production.

Ni Made Roni

Owner of Made Tea

“We are grateful for the collaboration with PUM and the grant from HBF. The machines allowed me to speed up the productions process ‘from farm to cup’. In the near future I would really appreciate receiving PUM’s support in setting up an incubation training programme on organic farming for woman cooperatives.”