GMIT Zoar Likwatang Takes Role to Combat Stunting Issue

06 Dec, 2019

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

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