The inauguration of the Pancer Tani Program has been held in the yard of the Agricultural Extension Service Office (BPP) of the Horticultural Food and Agriculture Service Office, South Central Timor Regency (TTS) last Monday (9/12/2019), carried out by Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture ( SFSA), in collaboration with the Tanaoba Lais Manekat Foundation (YTLM-GMIT) and supported by BPP Kuatnana.

This was explained by the Head of BPP Kuatnana, Mrs. Elisabeth Radja, S.Tp when she was met in her office just prior to the inauguration.

“This Syngenta and TLM Foundation cooperation is very beneficial for our assisted farmer groups, especially young group members such as youth farmers. Because even though it has only been going on for three months, there have been changes that we can see. They can be entrepreneurs so they can be independent, not dependent on parents and feel their lives are more useful because they can help the family, “Elisabeth explained.

On that occasion, the CEO of the TLM Foundation, Rozali Hussein in his greeting speech said, the Pancer Tani program is a program that offers solutions to farmers’ problems which require a long time of more than two months for the process of horticultural crop production starting from land preparation, selecting superior seeds, nurseries that often fail, plant raising, harvest until the distribution of crops.

“After we met with our partner Mr. Teddy (Director of SFSA Indonesia_red), through the Pancer Tani program we want to increase the frequency of harvests and the distribution of farmers’ income,” he explained.

He further said, with this program, farmers can save time because there is a supplier of superior seeds, fertilizers and medicines through Agricultural Shop, there is no need for seedlings because there is a House of Seedlings, selling is also well managed and so on.

This was confirmed by the Director of the Syngenta Foundation (SFSA-Indonesia), Teddy Tambu in his greeting speech.

“The Pancer Tani Program is a program that opens business opportunities for rural communities especially young people in developing agricultural knowledge and entrepreneurial skills. The Pancer Tani Program in Indonesia is only in Lampung, Java, and the farthermost is in NTT, which is in Kuatnana Sub-District of TTS District and here we are working with the TLM Foundation, “Teddy said.

Teddy also hoped that the regional government and the community, especially young people support this program so that Syngenta Foundation will be able to succeed in the vision that he brings, namely to increase farmers’ income through the agriculture industry.

Yuniaty Nenohai a young female beneficiary of Pancer Tani Program, when she was asked about her response said, she was very happy with the help of this program, that she could set up her own business.

“There are parents who can afford to send children to university, some are not, just like me. But I am proud because now I already have an agriculture shop with an income above three million rupiah every month. So, I can now help parents instead”. Said the twenty-year-old lady who is familiarly called Tanti.

Delighted to give a speech at the same time inaugurate the Pancer Tani Program, Vice-Regent of South Central Timor, Army Konay expressed his appreciation and welcomed the presence of the Syngenta Foundation in TTS area because the program could create reliable farmers in the village.

Konay also hoped that in the future, NGOs or foundations engaged in agriculture must sit together with the government to find practical solutions for developing agriculture in the TTS Regency.

6 Branches of Tanaoba Lais Manekat Saving and Landing Cooperative (KSP) in Flores was inaugurated in September 2019.

With the inauguration of the 6 branches; East Flores, Ende, Nagekeo, Manggarai, West Manggarai, East Manggarai, TLM has reached all regencies across Flores island.

The existence of KSP TLM draws positive responds by local government which considers it helps improving small community’s economy growth especially females who run micro business.

“Local government is so enthusiast welcoming TLM Cooperative because we (TLM) want to help small community’s economy growth, female group as micro entrepreneurs. That is our specialty. Member of KSP TLM in the 6 branches are more than one thousand people. Before the inauguration the branches has obtained operation certificate from Ministry of Cooperative, small and micro enterprise since April 2019”, explained Elvys Datyy, KSP TLM HR Manager in his workroom, Monday (16/9/2019)

Elvys also said that up until now, there are 38 branches of KSPT TLM, 34 of them are in NTT, 2 in Sulawesi and 2 in Bali. In NTT, there are still 3 regencies where there are no KSP TLM’s branch, they are West Sumba and Southwest Sumba.

There are some reasons why KSP TLM particularly concern about female micro entrepreneur. One of the them is it is conforming to its vision and mission which is to empower the poor, micro entrepreneurs in NTT and Indonesia to uplift their life standard.

Beside that, Elvys informed that generally, female has role to manage household’s economy and that is why we need to help, train and develop them.

“another reason is women manage household’s economy so they truly understand their family’s need, which one is compulsory, necessary and additional,” uttered Elvys.

Meanwhile, Regent of Ende, Drs Djafar Achmad, who were present and delivered speech in Ende branch inauguration in Ende, Wednesday evening (11/9/2019) in Pahlawan street, Ende City, stated that in Indonesia, Cooperative has constitutionally been mandated by The 1945 Constitution chapter 33 point 1

The chapters states “The economy shall be organized as a common endeavor based upon the principles of the family system”, while

Therefore, in Law Number 25 Year 1992 on Cooperative confirmed that cooperative one of the national economy pillars.

The purpose is to improve members’ welfare in particular and community in general as well as be involved in developing economy control to create sovereign, just and prosperous society according to Pancasila and The 1945 Constitution

“We surely feel that the existence of Cooperative among community contributes many advantages, especially in economy enhancement,” said Elvys.

In order to combat he danger of high stunting for children in NTT which is quite high, reaching 42%, the government has recently started to constantly conduct prevention through socialization in posyandu (Integrated Health Service) and Playground in villages, The Government even run balanced nutrition supplementary feeding program for children who are indicated suffering from stunting.

This is admitted by Rev. Serliantje S. Rihi – Dami, Pastor of GMIT Zoar, Likwatang village, sub-district of North Central Alor, Alor Regency, NTT when she was asked for her opinion by http://tlmfoundation.or.id redaction on stunting happening among society.

The mother of two children serves as a pastor. In her daily life, she takes time to attend health service by Posyandu (Integrated Heath Post) in village to get health service for her children and she even attends socialization by village health staff.

Rev. Serliantje admitted that she usually passes important informations related to health such malnutrition, danger of stunting, healthy life style and healthy food through religious meeting that she leads or even through her preaching in Sunday service.

“the truth is; for us who live in village, Sunday service and sermon meetings is ideal time to share such information (stunting), that is why I usually bring up some information in my preaching because I feel responsible as a pastor,” said Rev. Serliantje.

Moreover, she explained that as an effort to prevent stunting, she does not stop at giving socialization on stunting danger but also ask congregation of GMIT Zoar and people of Likwatang to plant vegetables in their yard so they can consume it to fulfill family’s nutrition, especially children’s.

“not just a discussion, truly care so we encourage them to grow vegetables so they not only consume rice, corn and cassava, but also vegetables. That is why when TLM Foundation offered assistance for productive garden, I persuaded my congregation to start from church yard so other people can see it as an example” explained Rev. Serliantje.

One of 7 family members of Zoar productive garden, Nofi Tagoki who also church secretary explained that since Juni 2019 the agreed to start process the unproductive land full of rocks in church yard, assisted by TLMF agriculture facilitator starting to grow horticultural vegetables organically.

“we never use this land before because there were lots of rocks, but we (garden members) took them out, put them aside and Mr. Stef (Steven Lili, TLMF facilitator) helped us to make seedbed, select seed, seed down and plant. Now we can enjoy the result” said Nofi

“same confession also came from productive garden group leader, Silodaud Kafelkay who stated that the garden location was known as big rocky area but now green vegetables grow in the land and it makes them even more enthusiastic to the same in their yards.

Silodaud and his members admitted that there were no vegetables garden in their village before so those who wanted to have vegetables should buy them in Kalabahi or from street vendor. But since the existence of productive garden, people in this village not just can eat but also can sell it to neighbor villages.

“we are really happy. We rarely ate vegetables because we had to go to Kalabahi to buy it but now we plant it ourselves. Not just to eat, we also sell it to our neighbor and people from neighbor village (Lelahomi village) come to buy from as so we have additional income” said Silodaud.

Separately, Likwatang village chief, Simon Karma explained that the presence of TLM in Likwatang brings a significant change for the community because as he can see that they are enthusiastically implement agriculture style suggested by facilitator and he is optimistic that his community can avoid endangerment of stunting if their nutrition intake is fulfilled by consuming vegetables.

“The presence of TLM in our village is so helpful. We feel a lot of changes. There was none in Likwatang who grow vegetables before but now we can see it is happening. I am also starting to grow vegetables in my back yard. This is really good for our community’s health,” said Simon in his house in Likwatang village.

She hopes that community could take chance to use assistance from TLM Foundation to transform their yard into source of nutrition for their families. *Ona