Who says that you have to live a couple of decades before writing a book? Meet Abigail and Grace. They are two 20-somethings who just realized their passion project, The Lalita Project, an online community (@lalitaproject) and an illustrated book which highlights Indonesian women role models.

The idea began when Abby and Grace had a conversation about role-models. And, soon they realized that there was no outlet that unites modern Indonesian women. Their curiosity and hard-work led them to meet and write the stories of 51 inspiring Indonesian women such as Najwa Shihab, Sri Mulyani, and the likes. Moreover, they collaborated with 51 different illustrators on illustrations used in each one of the figure’s story.

The FML team had the chance to speak with Abby and Grace about their project. We talked about what this project means for them, and what they have learned throughout the journey. We are excited to share their story to you because what Abby and Grace exemplified is impactful. Despite their commitments as full-time college students, they managed to put in the efforts to create an online community and a book. One key takeaway from their story is that don’t be afraid to start, because you will learn everything in the process! (Produced by Praisten T)