I wanted to write, firstly, to thank you for supporting Among Equals, which means so
much, and then also to share a few stories from inside our circle:
This week, I’ve been listening to the English Zen teacher Henry Shukman speak
about self — that quiet, ever-shifting sense of who we are. He talks about how, when
we pay attention, we begin to notice that our “self” is not fixed but fluid — and that
awareness opens a doorway. Suddenly, we see not only how connected we are to
one another, but also how many of our assumptions quietly shape the way we
experience the world.
It allows us to see how deeply connected we are with one another.
It made me think about identity in the context of our community. The women weavers
of Papua New Guinea live in what might be called a hidden economy — a sector of
workers whose hands and artistry rarely receive recognition. For these women,
Bilum weaving is not just a craft but a pathway. Every handmade, one-of-a-kind bag
represents an opportunity: a way to step out of marginalisation, to invest in their
families, and to build a future for female-led enterprise in PNG.
At Among Equals, we believe identity isn’t something we guard tightly — it is
something we weave together. The bags you carry are more than objects; they are
threads that connect your world with the hands of women thousands of miles away.
Each knot, each fibre, is a testament to resilience, belonging, and possibility.
On that same note, I want to share the story of a remarkable artisan that we work
with, Wago Segi.
Wago first began weaving with Among Equals when she was still a teenager at
school. She had the skill and the spark, and over the years she began to see that
weaving wasn’t just a tradition to keep alive — it was a way forward.
Now, with her studies complete, Wago has created a small business of her own. She
employs her sisters and a group of ten weavers who work alongside her. Together,
they are producing Bilums that reflect their daily lives — colours chosen with care,
patterns infused with meaning — and Wago leads with a keen eye for quality control
and design.
Her vision hasn’t stopped there. Wago has invested her earnings into a small
piggery, building another source of income for her family and creating a safety net for
the future. What began with a single bilum has become a livelihood, a business, and
a legacy that lifts others with her.
Stories like Wago’s are why we do this work. Each Bilum is not only a handmade,
one-of-a-kind piece — it is a thread in a much larger story of resilience, leadership,
and the rise of women-led enterprise in Papua New Guinea.
Lastly, a note on craft, as there is such cleverness in the weavers’ patterns. A Bilum
is an object of beauty and function, yes — but also a cultural archive.
Generations add their own footprint with each design, carrying forward an age-old practice while
speaking in the colours and shapes of today. In every bag, past and present are
bound together — much like the PNG flag, which unites a nation of over 800
languages, a vivid symbol of how diversity and individuality come together to form
something strong and shared. These are also fully functional objects, women use
them to carry babies, people use them to collect the harvest, daily use with
schoolbooks etc… They are also works of art that are the heart and soul of PNG
culture and a signature of the weaver who made it.
Enjoy your week,
X Carrie
Caroline Sherman,
Founder Among Equals
