Since April 2022, TLM Foundation and Tribuana Alor University  (UNTRIB) have started a cooperation contract in community service and empowerment programs in Alor Regency.

In the Cooperation contract, agreed on several things that will be done together in resources, funds and human resources including; plans to establish animal feed factories, empower People With Disabilities (PWD) through local food processing, assistance to home industry groups through Students’ Community Service Program.

For the animal feed factory establishment program, it is currently still in the assessment stage while the development of disability empowerment (PWD) has been carried out local food processing training  where UNTRIB provides instructors, namely Jublina Bakoil STP, MP, Food Technology lecturers to train Likwatang Village’s PWD group that run food processing businesses to be developed into more types of food processed products that can be sold and to be utilized money as additional income.

In July 2022, TLM Foundation collaborated with UNTRIB to facilitate the KBPM program for 318 students in 41 villages spread across 18 sub-districts, Alor-NTT regency. However, due to the limited resources and accompanying personnel of TLM Foundation, 10 villages were selected to be facilitated with production tools and materials for the establishment of a Home Industry business in accordance with the local potential of their respective villages. Meanwhile, technical assistance in the production process is carried out by field supervisors of UNTRIB in accordance with their respective academic fields.

The Chairman of the 2022 UNTRIB KBPM Committee, Gerson Hans Maure, S.P, M.Si appreciated the good cooperation built between TLM Foundation and UNTRIB in the context of community economic empowerment in Alor Regency.

“This pattern of cooperation has only occurred where there are community empowerment institutions that are willing to collaborate to fund academic activities on our campus in this case community service, because so far when students are sent to the village, they blend in with the community, learn sober but this time it is really different where they bring the program, accompanied by conducting a survey of village potential which is then managed into products that are ready to be sold so this is very good.” Gerson explained.

He also mentioned the potentials of the villages developed into Tribuana Innovation Products (PIT) such as; virgin coconut oil (VCO), hazelnut oil, eucalyptus oil, coffee powder, ginger powder, cocoa chips, fried corn of various flavors, banana, pineapple and papaya juices, smoked fish, fish nuggets, shredded fish, banana sticks of various flavors, moringa biscuits, Kue rambut (local snack), organic liquid fertilizer, bokashi fertilizer, Traditional Alcohol, bamboo handicrafts etc,.

The ten villages are provided with material assistance and production tools in accordance with their potential and then accompanied within the production process, packaging, labeling, sales promotion until the business management so that it is expected that there will be a sustainability of production so that it can be utilized as a source of additional income for the families.

All of these products were then facilitated by UNTRIB and TLM Foundation to be exhibited at the XV^th Alor Expo which was held at the Mini field of Kalabahi on (4-8/10/2022) with the theme “Development of Creative Economy Based on Local Cultural Wisdom to Create Full-Alor, Healthy-Alor and Smart-Alor.”

One of the Home Industry group member from Air Mancur Village, Bendelina Kamengmal (45) expressed her joy for being able to learn new things, where she was trained to process Moringa leaves which she had always known as an alternative vegetable, now it can be processed into an instant Moringa biscuits and can be sold at a fairly high price.

“So far, we knew moringa as a vegetable or mix it with corn soup, but we never knew that we could make delicious biscuits. Kids love it!” said Jublina.

She also said that every year the expo was held but they were never involved so she is so proud that their products could be displayed at the expo this time is proudful.

“On behalf of our fellow members, we thank TLM Foundation, UNTRIB, especially PKBM students who have given us something valuable, we learned new things. Already helped us with stoves, ovens, mica, plastic packaging, labels, scales, mixers, blenders and other ingredients.” The mother of four said.

From the 5 days of the Expo activities, the tribuana Alor University display earned a turnover of not less than IDR. 9 million Rupiah with an average sales per village from the ten villages started from IDR. 400 to IDR. 1 million.

“It’s incredible, it’s never happened. We hope that we can keep the good cooperation for humanity like this so that more villages and community members are served, so that community service programs from the campus can be categorized quite successfully and this deserves our appreciation,” concluded Gerson Maure, who is familiarly called Mr. SoMar.

The same thing was conveyed by one of the other lecturers, Jublina Bakoil STP, MP, she really appreciated the collaboration between TLM Foundation and UNTRIB because it brought great things to marginalized groups such as PWD and poor families in the village.

“This increases their confidence to develop abilities and skills so that they can strive independently, earn additional income to be able to meet the needs of daily life”.  said Jublina. She expected that this cooperation will continue because this program is in accordance with the Alor district government program , namely Local Food Development based on Alor Culture.