You shop, we ship: Testimonials

Two minuetes biking to the beach

Anneke Steensma left Holland 5 years ago with her husband and their two daughters to Bali, Indonesia. At the beginning of her living, she compared herself to the Turkish mothers who were standing at the schoolyard and didn’t have any contact with the surroundings due to the language barrier. As soon as Anneke found a job, this 45 year old frissian was totally integrated. Now, she lives in Sanur, a tourist village of where many Dutch tourists spend their holidays.

How did you end up in Bali?
My former husband got a job offer in Bali and I came along with my two daughters then I also worked and eventually had a steady job in the same company. Now, 5 years later, our relationship between me and my ex husband is working really well. Better than ever. We both have new families and I even have a 1, 5 year old son. I was never thought of immigrating to another country. If you ask me whether I would immigrate, most likely I would have answered no.

What exactly are you doing there?
I am a marketing manager of You Shop We Ship, one of business unit of Export Service Centre Indonesia. Our mission is to create or improve work living through export opportunities. YSWS does the business and generate sales by offering door to door service. Shipment from Indonesia to Holland is really attracting for the current business market. Thus, this is how we help people work, gain job and be employed through trading. Referring to the job employment estimation, last year we helped around 4000 people get job.

So, actually it is some kind of development assistance?
Yes that’s how you can call it. Export Service Centre is part of the Kearny Alliance Foundation. Founded by American who has been running his business in China, he realised that the massive growing business in china would create market monopoly and bring bad effect to the rest Asian countries. In the last 5 years, I have a lot of personal contact with suppliers and I have seen a lot of small companies develop to be “real” company with numbers of employees. Seeing this situation really makes me happy and grows satisfaction, because I can see in the real life, the circumstance allows their parents have better life and the most important thing is their children can go to school.

How is the business going?
We are pretty occupied and have a really nice network, really busy and are having a really good network, and our business relations are good which allows them to be our repeated customers. Our company is moving forward pretty well, bringing up the social mission combine with the business serves as challenging effort. I personally have more focus in the Netherlands market, the Dutch people in Bali is a good market and I want to reach that of customers.
I’m not considering myself over the top yet I still the same old down to earth frissian lady.
I have to reach the target and cover the cost, yet the growing numbers of suppliers is compliment for the efforts.

How is the contact with the Indonesian people?
I married an Indonesian man, or you can say an Indonesian husband, that can say that it is intensive. In the beginning it was hard. Language, culture and religion are different with Holland, so your world is upsite down. A lot of times I have stand on the schoolyard without any contact with other mothers because I couldn’t understand him and they didnt seek any contact. I compared myself a lot with the Turkish mothers standing at the schoolyard in The Hague with who did not seek any contact.

Do you still have contact with the people back in The Netherlands?
Yes, Bali is far away. But since I live here, my parents always call every Sunday evening. I just thought that the distance really doesn’t matter of our contact, but moreover way ore ii just made conclusion that our contact is despite the distance more intensive than ever before.

Do you always have to work or is there also time to relax?
I have more time for my children. My household is taken care by 2 maids. The live with us and get paid. With other words, I gave them work, because I felt guilty for a long time doing nothing in my own home. Till somebody told me that you should see the household as a small company with employees and since than i don’t feel guilty anymore. I come home, play with my children, and help them with their homework. We watch a movie together or make music. My husband is a professional musician.

What about sun bathing on the beach?
I am at the office at 7 30 and most of the time I skip lunch to go home at 4. If we have time we will get on the bike and within 2 minutes we are at the beach. In the evening when my husband is working and the children asleep I will watch the Dutch news and a news related television show (talking program) while answering my emails on my laptop.

Indonesia Export Service Centre – Indonesia Export Product – Bali Furniture Exporter