Sikka Weaving Challenges the Stigma Around Schizophrenia

Traditional threads from Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara are being used to challenge the stigma surrounding schizophrenia. At Jakarta’s Philanthropy Building, an exhibition titled “Recover, Create and Empower” displayed handwoven works from Sikka Regency on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026.

The exhibition featured meaningful ikat pieces made by Maria Yasni, Kristina Yance and Albina Marta, three people with schizophrenia from Sikka. Supported by the Papha Foundation during a long and difficult recovery process, they used weaving as a form of creative expression and as a way to reconnect with the wider community.

The project brought together the Lentera Kesehatan Nusantara Foundation, the Papha Indonesia Foundation and Dompet Dhuafa. Ismail A. Said, head of Dompet Dhuafa’s Rumah Sehat Terpadu, urged continued support for empowerment programs in Sikka. He said the initiative could help correct public misunderstandings about people with schizophrenia.

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For us, this activity is a very important program for building a fuller understanding of people with schizophrenia, while also supporting collaboration in the recovery process.

“When people talk about schizophrenia, they are often judged first by their diagnosis and limitations. Yet behind that is a human being with creativity, aspirations and potential that we have not yet discovered and must bring out,” Ismail said.

Dompet Dhuafa has also run a mental-health counseling program for about two years under the name “Aku Temanmu,” or “I Am Your Friend.” The program uses peer counseling, with counselors of similar experience, to reduce the psychological distance between counselors and the people they support. The organizers present weaving and counseling together as practical parts of a broader recovery effort, one that gives participants space to create rather than be defined solely by a medical diagnosis.

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When people talk about schizophrenia, they are often judged first by their diagnosis and limitations. Yet behind that is a human being with creativity, aspirations and potential that we have not yet discovered and must bring out.