Village Law Seminar and Workshop for Community Leader in Soe, South Central Regency

26 Sep, 2018

In September 17th, 2018, in Timor Megah Hotel, Soe, South Central Regency, TLM Foundation cooperated with Evangelical Christian Church In Timor (GMIT) Synod Assembly and Uniting Word (Mission Institution of Uniting Church dari Australia) conducting Seminar and Workshop on Village Law for Community Leaders.

The Seminar and Workshop took place for 3 days, attended by participants who are GMIT Preachers of 13 territories (service area)

In 2018, this program (Seminar and Workshop on Village Law for Community Leaders) is planned to be held in 3 regencies, South Central Timor, Alor and Rote Ndao

Executive Director of TLM Foundation, Mr. Rozali Hussien, in his welcoming speech stated his gratefulness fort that is the first ime TLM Foundation and GMIT Synod Assembly collaborated in a program to increase role of Church in community.

President of GMIT Synod, Dr. Meri Kolimon said her speech said “Salvation from God entrusted to Church is a holistic salvation, which leads people to faith of the end of world history lead by Him is a complete prosperity where heaven and prosperity is being started right now, here. As GMIT congregation, we believe that faith of perfect prosperity is still facing the fact of weak development of NTT community. We are facing the fact of malnutrition, high death rate of mother and infant, human trafficking, and even living environment; forest and land fires, etc. then how to find a way to actualize the salvation in our daily life?. Through recommendation of 33rd GMIT Synod Council and MoU signing between GMIT and Ministry of Acceleration Development Backward Regions, it is decided that GMIT cooperates with GMIT’s partner, TLM Foundation as an organization that rich of Village Law implementation training for villages in NTT.

As a main spokesperson, H. Yusuf Murtiono, one of national figure who is experienced in village community empowerment field delivered a material on “Village as Source of Government Law and Village Establishment”, “Village Fund Management” and BUMDES (Village owned enterprise) as Village Economy Strength”.

While The Department head of Village and Community Empowerment of South Central Timor, George Mella presented a material on village establishment dynamic said that budget managed by village now is up to 2 billion each year. This is a great number of budgets to improve village development but the quality of Human Resources in South Central Timor is still low to manage it. This can be seen from the education level of village officials that from 266 village heads, 91% graduated with packet B and C certificate or equal with Junior or Senior High. And only 1% graduated with diploma/bachelor degree. For that reason, role of community leaders (preachers) to assisted village fund is important according to George Mella.

Aside from Mella and H. Yusuf, others spokespersons, Silvi Fanggidae (Pikul NGO) presented a material on “Environmental Damage and Sustainability as An Establishment Challenge in Village”, Helmi Isma (Persatuan Tuna Daksa Kristiani NTT/literally translated as “Association of Christian PWD in NTT) presented about “Basic Concept of Disability” and the last spokesperson, Pdt. Pao Ina Ngefak-Bara Pa delivered material on “Rule of Church in Preventing Human Trafficking.”

At the end of each material presentation session, there was question answer session that ran well and dynamic, many questions asked and answered by the spokespersons so that the participants received new understanding on the role of church towards village establishment.

In the last session of The Seminar and Workshop, organizing committee give certificates for all participants.