GERSON A PWD: “TLM CREATES JOB FOR US”

By Ona Tasoin,

Gerson Natbais, 40 years old (PWD), married and has two children, an eleven-year-old daughter, in the grade third of elementary school and a 4-year-old son.

Gerson is a multi-talented person who never takes his blindness as a barrier to work everyday in order to fulfill his family needs.

Prior joined as TLMF client Gerson used to work at MISI Susteran – Kupang for 8 years as therapist, he then decided to resign from MISI Susteran and tried to work independently by providing massage service door to door as his main job. The skill allowed him to earn income of IDR 200,000 to 300,000 every time he plays.

Gerson also has another skill playing keyboard that he learns self-taught, with this skill he is sometimes demanded to play and sing at wedding party or family party. Before the covid-19 pandemic, the income he could earn from playing keyboard is amounting to IDR 150,000 to IDR 300,000.

Nevertheless, Gerson felt that he needed to have a steady income that could support the needs of his family.

This is why he decided to join TLM Foundation Disability programs. He was interested to involve in the PWD small meeting held by TLM Foundation. The TLM Foundation also provided the FGD meeting that discussed about sustainability, entrepreneurship, confidence, how to deal with competition in business and making duster. In addition to Gerson along with other PWD attended a training to improve their massage skill held by HITBIA. The massage training aims to prepare them for Rumah Sehat (Health Centre).

After joining those FGD programs, Gerson applied in the PWD loan program that provided him capital to star his own business. Currently he is in the 3rd loan cycle with a loan of IDR 3,000,000. This loan was spent on material of duster and stocks for kiosk business such as coffee, sugar, instant noodles, snacks, rice, etc. this business is very helpful for Gerson’s family in meeting their daily needs and education needs. This business can earn income of IDR 50,000 to IDR. 100,000 per day.

Besides having a new kiosk business that his wife take care of, Gerson and his other 19 PWDs friends also work as therapists in TLM Foundation’s Rumah Sehat (Healthy Home). He is grateful for the presence of Health Centre; he has destination where he has to work. He works at Health Centre every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

“We are very happy and grateful that TLM creates job and provides workplace for PWD like us, where would anyone want to employ blind people like us?” Said Gerson.

Because Gerson and his family are staying in a rent house for more than 10 years, he is now utilizing his incomes to build his family house. The house is now on building progress. He is hoping so much that this pandemic will be gone soon so that he can work again normally to earn money to finish his family home.

A Story about Home Renovation Program in Pniel Oebobo Church

By Ona Tasoin,

Yumina Banu (58) a widow. Her former husband was Benyamin Mone Weo (passed away few years ago. She has no children from her husband but they adopted a boy named Sepriyanto Banu (19) a Senior high school since he was 2 years old.

Yumina and her son live in a very small rundown home in Hati Mulia Street-Oebobo, Kupang City. Everyday she works as a laundry woman to her neighbours to fulfil their daily needs especially her son’s school tuition fees.

Their home condition was not good enough to when the Seroja storm attached last year, this caused a huge damage at that time.

Yumina while crying testified that the night the storm came, with her son they could only pray for their safety because their home’s roof gone while it was raining, stormy and flooded outside. Fortunately, a neighbour came and bring them to their home.

She testified that, the first aid for them at that time was from the church that lately she knew that the support was from TLM.

Yumina is grateful that not only food now she is also helped with this home renovation program.

“As a widow I really wanted to thank TLM and the church for helping me to renovate my home, honestly, I cannot afford to buy materials, thank you for providing me walls, cements, nails and iron sheets. May the Lord bless TLM and donors who support us this much” Said Yumina.

PURSUING CAREER, SHARING KNOWLEDGE, SERVING THE POOR WITH TLM FOUNDATION

By Ona Tasoin,

Leany Anggraini Adu or who is familiarly called Leany was born in Kupang, April 12, 1985. Leany is a graduate of English Study Program of University of Nusa Cendana (UNDANA). Leany is not married yet for she is busy in pursuing career as a trainer in TLM Foundation’s Home Industry program. Leany started to work at the TLM Foundation in 2011, in Transformation and Training Division, for the section of TLM Cooperative’s customers training at that time.

Leany said that at first, she was interested in joining and working with TLM Foundation besides wanting a career, she also shared knowledge as a teacher. With her experience of teaching at a Sunday school at his local church as well as his experience as a teacher in a compassion organization (PPA), she is confident that she can train in community empowerment programs, especially housewives.

When she joined TLM Foundation, Leany was also given a Training of Trainer (ToT) training for capacity building as well as adjustments from teaching children to training adults (housewives). She was also involved in home industry internship programs to food processing factories, business management training, entrepreneurship, financial management and even public service training (Customer Service Excellent). This is done by the TLM Foundation on a regular basis to prepare the training staff to be better prepared and able to train with the materials needed by the community.

In her service in the community as a Home Industry trainer, she needed to carry out stages such as; prepare materials according to training topics, training SOPs, handouts/modules, materials and tools for practice and etc.

The training topics also vary according to the group’s needs based on the results of a potential survey of both natural resource and human resource. As for the topics that have been trained such as; Training on fish processing (shredded fish, fish nuggets, smoked fish), training on sweet potato chips, pumpkin sticks, bananas, corn, moringa processing, meatball making, herbal medicine (jamu), coffee powder, red ginger powder, sewing training, furniture training/ carpentry, tire repair workshops, training on making souvenirs from shells, weaving training, barbershop training, beauty salon training and so on.

In addition, Leany also provides general knowledge training such as; Sanitation, human trafficking, balanced nutrition, reproductive health etc. Not only training, but she also provided business establishment assistance for those who wanted to start a new business after training and business management assistance for members who want to develop their current businesses.

Leany Adu admitted that she is now more confident in providing home industry training to adults after approximately 11 years of working as a trainer at TLM Foundation. Besides being confident, she is also more disciplined in doing everything, including when she is in the midst of her family. This happened because she was used to work according to the targets and SOPs given.

Leany admits that serving as a trainer is not easy. This is because she has to be away from her family and has to adapt to new environments she visits.

Leany added, there are many challenges that she often encounters in conducting Home Industry training, such as; The mindset of the trainees who often still depend on TLM staff where the average community has been patterned with assistance and aids, tends not to want to be an entrepreneur.

 “It often happens, we have given training, business capital assistance like materials and equipment and machines for production but it is not continued. Sometimes the materials we train are new to them and the surrounding community, so they find it difficult to sell their post-production products, this sometimes makes members lazy to continue their business,” said Leany.

However, Leany stated that she always provides follow-up assistance, both in person and by telephone, for members who wanted to consult on business development, and even help them to find a market for the group to sell their products.

In addition to marketing assistance, Leany also assists groups that are already producing regularly to obtain PIRT (Home Industry Food Permission) so that the product is easier to sell.

Although there are many things that make it difficult to work as Home Industry trainer, Leany said that she is proud and happy to be a trainer because she sees that being a trainer is a proof of TLM foundation’s concern for poor with their small businesses. With the positive changes that have occurred in society, Leany admits that being a trainer is a proud service when she is helping others through training and knowledge sharing.

Leany stated that the reasons she enjoyed being part of YTLM-GMIT as a trainer; “It’s great to see people who initially didn’t have a business, but after participating the training, they have the enthusiasm to build an independent business, and succeed in making a profit of up to IDR. 10 million per month, there is a special pride for me as a trainer.

In addition, I enjoy working at TLM because TLM has a clear career path. At TLM I was also taught to make rational and professional targets and work plans. Working at TLM is a tremendous blessing, not only for me personally but also for the community and my family.” Closed Leany.

TLM FOUNDATION COLLABORATES WITH TRIBUANA ALOR UNIVERSITY, CREATE INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS FOR HOME INDUSTRY GROUPS THROUGH STUDENTS’ COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAM

By Ona Tasoin,

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 XVth 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.

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AGUSTINUS MALLO, A MILLENNIAL SUB-DISTRICT HEAD WHO LIKES TO WORK IN THE VILLAGE AS HIS OFFICE

By jerrybrand,

Augustinus Mallo, He was born in Soe on 21 August 1966 and he is now 55 years old, married to Ivony Mallo-Patty and blessed with 5 children (M=3/F=2). He is now working as a sub-district head in Batu Putih Sub-district, South Central Timor Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia.

The sub-district head who is familiarly called Eddy has a Complete name; Drs. Agustinus F. N. Mallo, has been trusted by TTS Regional Government for 9 years as the sub-district head in the Batu Putih sub-district since 2013 until now, overseeing 7 villages in his assisted areas.

Mr. Eddy is well-known as a hard-worker leader and does not like to sit still behind his office desk. He likes to visit and spend his working hours with village officials and the community in his 7 villages in rotation regularly because he thinks the real office is when he is being with the community.

This father of 5 children admits that he prefers to directly see and identify the problems that occur both in the village government system and those that occur in the community so that they can immediately find solutions to those problems for the sake of the village development and the welfare of the community.

In controlling the village government system, he revealed that there are many obstacles faced regarding regulations and laws that are always changing, while human resources in the area are inadequate, so it is very difficult to keep up with existing developments.

 “The laws and regulations are always changing and require us to adapt. Unfortunately, our human resources are still inadequate. So, we think we can’t work alone, we need other people. Praise God we met TLM Foundation in early 2018 which has an interest and concern in the field on village empowerment. We thought it was a very good opportunity for us to synergize,” he said.

He also told that since 2018 his sub-district area accompanied by TLM Foundation, they have really felt the benefits where TLM had assisted them in identifying the problems they were facing then tried to look for solutions by providing training on village laws, updated government regulations and so on, that they used as references in running the wheels of village government.

“Before we met TLM, we were really overwhelmed in making development plans, village documents, village reports because village officials did not understand their respective main tasks, it made us always late in submitting our documents to the district. But after we were assisted by TLM, it can be said that Batu Putih sub-district for the last 3 years has always been a role model in terms of making planning documents, budget absorption and reporting, that sent Batu Putih sub-district represented TTS district to attend village law coordination meeting in the province these last three years,” said the sub-district head Eddy.

In addition to the training received from TLM Foundation, continued the sub-district head, Eddy, technical and non-technical assistance were also carried out so that there was a follow-up on the progresses in the application of science in real practices. He also proudly mentioned one example of his villages; Benlutu village, which become one of TLM Foundation assisted village, is now quite successful in the field of empowerment, development and establishment of BUMDESA so that many villages, both from the TTS district and from other districts, conduct comparative studies there.

“As the sub-district head, I am proud of the progress and positive values that we have received and felt, for that on behalf of the village officials and the community from 7 villages in Batu Putih sub-district I would like to thank TLM Foundation and donor agencies who have contributed to assist us in running development works in the village. We expect that this collaboration will continue with new things as always.” he ends up.

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