Aside from basic food and stationary, the mini market also sells lu’at (Timorese traditional spicy condiment) and other home industry products.

A sweet dark skin and straight hair woman looked busy operating barcode scanner. Her agile fingers putting selling basic food into plastic bag then handed them out to a costumer while bending over a little and smiling friendly.

The woman was Theresia Kapitan, Manager of Sehati BUMDES of Nekmese, South Amarasi sub-district, Kupang Regency. Aside from being busy serving customers, Theresia and other mini market staff welcomed special guests on (21/12/2018).

The guests were South Amarasi sub-district head, Jackson Baok, Executive Director of TLM Foundation, Rozali Hussein, TLM Foundation Transformation Division Head, Ferdi Frans, Executive Manager of Consumer Cooperative, Joke Bire and some of TLM Foundation staff.

They were there to inaugurate the Mini Market. The Mini Market is village-owned enterprise or BUMDes in Indonesian, named BUMDes Sehati. The inauguration was marked with ribbon cutting by Jackson Baok.
In his speech, Jackson thanked TLM Foundation, which has intensively assisted Nekmese community with its empowerment program until the Mini Market is now operating.

To Pos Kupang, Theresia said that TLM Foundation trained them on how to run BUMDes Sehati. “We learned so much, from management, how to serve customers, and motivation to work,” said Theresa.

Theresa recounted the mini market has been running for about 2 months. In the beginning, there were only a few costumers but the number of customers has continued to increase in the past month. “we are surely happy, this is a great thing,” Said Theresa. Aside from basic food, stationary and other types of staff, the mini market also sells lu’at (Timorese traditional spicy condiment) and other home industry products produced by housewives in Nekmese.

Meanwhile, Yohanes Kapitan, community leader of local people explained that people of Nekmese do not have to walk far to shop because they have mini market around them. According to him, costumer service in the mini market is good and fast because they use machine. “They who serve are friendly, and costumers still get their chance even it is just Rp. 500. Other small kiosks probably do not do the same”, explained Yohanes. Yohanes appreciates mentoring programs from TLM Foundation in their village. According to him, The Foundation assisted them intensively because regularly being among the community.

Ferdi Frans, as division head of TLM Foundation transformation division explicated that community and BUMDes mentoring program in Nekmese has been running for 2 years. Some of the programs are; productive garden mentoring, where unproductive garden is transformed into productive land to be planted with vegetables and fruits. “We assist the community from land processing, planting of vegetables and fruits as well as corps distribution,” said Ferdi.

Ferdi also explained that with the existence of this BUMDes, community’s corps can be sold through BUMDes and BUMDes determines the price, no longer the outsiders come to buy from Nekmese. Aside from that, Village Law Mentoring such training and socialization for village official and community related to the utilization of BUMDes and other important things related to efforts of the improvement and the growth of society. He explained that TLM Foundation with local people are now incessant doing home industry program like producing variety of foods or spices with high selling price. “so we try to empower society so they can develop their economy state,” Said Ferdy

Ferdy also appreciated the enthusiasm of local people in every mentoring process. According to him, involved people are so cooperative and open. “I think they give a good respond, they are so overt to be assisted so no wonder that the mentoring program can run in a streamlined way,” he stated. Ferdi continued saying that TLM Foundation will also provide many types of vendible in the Mini Market like fertilizer.“ Most of local people here are farmers so we provide fertilizers in Mini Market for farming and gardening needs,” informed Ferdy.

After the inauguration, those who attended the event continued to attend thanksgiving event in Nekmese Village Office.

TLM Foundation’s service in Regency of Rote Ndao has been running for 18 years, where TLM Foundation cooperates with society, government and church through its micro finance program run by KSP TLM (TLM Saving and Loan Cooperative) and Empowerment Program which directly managed by The Foundation. The Foundation’s service at the end of 2018 was closed with Village Law Seminar and Workshop for Community Leaders and Visit to its assisted productive garden.

Along with the enactment of Village Law as village heads and societies’ reference in developing their villages’ area and by the need of participation from all community components, including religious figures, TLM Foundation cooperates with GMIT Synod Assembly improving GMIT Pastors’ knowledge on Village Law to enhance their participation in their service areas.

The seminar and workshop is a cooperation between TLM Foundation and GMIT Synod supported by UnitingChurch Australia and has been conducting since September 2018 in TTS Regency, October 2018 in Alor Regency and December 2018 in Rote Ndao Regency, precisely from 4 – 6 December 2016 in Shalom Church, Mokdale, attended by 50 pastors from 6 territorial Presbyterian of Rote Ndao.

The purpose of the seminar and workshop is to inform the pastors as community leaders about Village law so they can participate in village development. Rozali Hussein, Executive Director of TLM Foundation in his speech said that one of the reasons behind the seminar and the workshop is because of the minimum participation of pastors in musrembangdes (village development deliberation and planning) so they need training to know their role as community leaders for they may be the only one university graduate in some certain villages. The Regent of Rote Ndao, Jonas Lun also attended the seminar and workshop and he promised that the pastors will be involved in musrembangdes.

The spokesperson of the seminar and workshop is Yusuf Murtiono, The Presidium of Formasi (Civil Society Forum), Kebumen. The materials provided in The Seminar and workshop include Village Development according to Theological Perspective such Village Law Essence, Village Authority and Deliberation as well as Village Fund Management. The participants were also equipped with material of human trafficking, disability and child protection.

“”This is the first village law training seminar and workshop for me. I feel that this is so useful because we as Pastors who serve in village need to know the pace of village development. We learnt so much from this seminar; from hamlet to sub-district planning level, even regency planning level so if it is possible we want to support and awareness for village heads and community about their rights and obligations, even about village regulation that grow along with village’s authority. We want to give spirit for village heads to walk in truth for righteous and prosperous villages and community in village heaven”. Said Untung Pria Setyawan, one of pastors from Northwest Rote Territory.

Aside from participating in the seminar and workshop, the participants were invited to visit productive garden assisted by TLM Foundation in Kolobolon Village that has successfully cultivated dragon fruits and became the only one village who grows dragon fruit in Rote Ndao. During the visit, the participants were explained about TLM Foundation’s community empowerment program through productive garden where community are trained on how to transform unproductive garden into productive, to cultivate plants organically, to process garden product into niche products (home industry training) as well as simple accountancy to manage their income from home industry products selling.