As a follow-up action from Capacity Strengthening for GMIT Ministers as community leaders in villages that was conducted last year, TLM Foundation collaborates with Protestant Church In Timor Synod (MS-GMIT) running Village Law Workshop and Seminar for GMIT Minister in Alor Regency, NTT.

The workshop and seminar was conducted in 2 days (Tuesday and Wednesday, 1-2 /10/2019) in Wisma Chitra Hidup Tri Buana Kalabahi Hall, attended by 55 participants consisted of 37 Minister and 18 village chiefs who are the representative of 9 territorial service area in Alor Regency.

“Village now is spearhead of development and determinant of a nation’s well-being so it is expected to use the given authority to manage huge amount of village fund by framing self-managed development and to create employment in village using village’s potential to mitigate unemployment and help reducing poverty, “explained Godlief.

Furthermore, Godlief as a member of GMIT Synod Congregation in education division said that the seminar and workshop aims to bring the ministers as shepherd of congregation as well as community leader closer to people in order to understand their responsibility and role in village development and not to replace the authority of village chief and government so that will be no intervention but a partnership to socialize each of development program through religious meeting so all parties may be aware and involved in development to achieve the purpose of it maximally.

CEO of TLM Foundation, Rozali Hussein was also attended the seminar and workshop and explained to other participants about TLM Group’s business units and its service area where economy empowerment is implemented by TLM Bank, TLM Saving and Loan Cooperative and TLM Consumer Cooperative, while

“TLM Foundation as an executor of church deacon conceived how to help society with community empowerment programs that have been going including assisted village assistance, since 2015, TLM Foundation has been focusing to assist several villages in managing village large amount of village fund to enhance community entirely so that the fund is used appropriately” said Rozali.

Rozali also stated that; according to information he received, village fund absorption in 2018 of some regencies in NTT is not yet 70% and this is caused by low participation of community leaders in development plan related to utilization of village fund and it left an impression of community let village chief and its officials to work alone with no enough support and attention from all stakeholders who should be involved in planning and implementation of village development.

“what usually happens in village is community perspective on God’s matter belongs to Church and world’s matter belongs to government, resulting in difficulty to collaborate because each of them maintains their ego and refuse to be humble. Soif we want to experience progress, we have to let go of our centric ego” added Rozali.

Moreover Rozali propose to leave our mindset which tend to compartmentalize among ministers as church leaders, and start to be active in identifying existing potentials in their service area then involved in development planning to plan efficient community development programs with government in favor of community welfare improvement holistically.

One of the workshop participants, Rev. Melky Selan, S.Th, the head of the assembly of the congregation, Imanuel Kalondama, a Western Pantar Teritory when interviewed on the sidelines of the seminar and workshop, stated that before joining this activity a year ago he did not really understand their roles and responsibilities as community leaders in village development, but within this seminar and workshop they realized the importance of their involvement as community leaders in development planning meetings and participated actively in the implementation of development in the village.

“I am very happy to be given training on village law where previously we did not know anything about how to get involved, but since a year ago joining this training, when we returned we already knew which portion we should be in and which results in the village where I serve, we have been involved in MusDes to participate in making RKPDesa and RPJMDesa so that there have been results so far because we have helped to socialize the village program through spiritual meetings so that there is good cooperation between the government and the church in developing villages, “said Rev. Melky.

The 2 days Village Law workshop and seminar for community leader is facilitated by TLM Foundation and GMIT Synod with Haji Yusuf Murtiono, CEO of NGO Formasi-Kebumen Central Java as spokesperson and the theme is : BUMDES (village owned enterprise) as institution of Village Community Empowerment, Village Strategic Programs on Health and Education Improvement and Exemplary of Village Government with Institutions in Village/Community Leaders. (Ona)