TLM Foundation (Tanaoba Lais Manekat) GMIT handed over health aid to PWD in Oebobo village, Batu Putih sub-district, TTS.

The distribution of hearing aids for 15 PWD took place in Oebobo village office, Friday 19 May 2023.

CEO of TLM Foundation GMIT, Rozali, after the occasion explained that one of TLM Programs is to help community in 3 villages in Batu Putih, they are Oebobo, Benlutu and Tupan. 

 “Today we deliver aid for 15 PWD in form of hearing aid and mobility canes,” he said

From all the beneficiaries, Rozali said that there are schoold-age children who have not been able to go to school because they have hearing difficulty.

 “This also results in impaired ability to speak, earlier we have given hearing aids and it works well,” he added. 

Aside from that, Rozali also said that there are some women with hearing impairment but now they have the hearing aids that  help them hear better.

He said that to assist Oebobo, TLM also implement pig fattening program and other program such clean water infrastructure for about 150 households as beneficiary.

“Earlier we also shared the profit of pig-fattening. There 3 breeders and each of them gains Rp 2,4 million after raising the pic for 2,5 months,” said Rozali

In Oebobo, Rozali continued; there are 11 households involved in pig-fattening program.

 “TLM Foundation’s programs are developed to increase income which leads in stunting prevention, namely by pig-fattening in the shortest time possible and can provide profits. This is so whe do not have to wait for years.”

Rozali said that TLM’s Programs are in line with Government’s program in relation to stunting prevention

“We also provide training to form cadre, disaster management team and home industry training for housewives. In Batu Putih sub-district, we have 3 years projects. After 3 years, we will evaluate the growth of the village we have assisted, to see how it develops then we will make comparison. The evaluation is to see the growth of the program in the next 3 years.” Explained Rozali      

Rozali hopes that the aids will be indispendsable for the beneficiaries.

“We hope that the existing assistance can help children who have not had time to go to school because of their hearing impairments to finally be able to go to school. Also the availability of clean water infrastructure will help the surrounding community. Preveously, to fulfill their need of clean water, they had to walk 1 to 2 km.  Indeed there is a lot of water here but it is from river and and cannot be consumed. The clean water program helps them to get clean water. They do not have to pay around     Rp. 200.000 to get clean water. They just need to spend Rp. 25.000 for its maintenance,” Rozali explained 

“We also expect the stunting rate to decrease in the next 3 years,” He added  

Rozali pointed out that TLM Foundation is under auspice of GMIT in implementing church diaconia program. “but in the implementation of our programs, we do not limit it for GMIT community only, we serve everyone regardless their religion and etchnicity,” he said.

Meanwhile, Melki Selan, Assisten executor of Oebobo village secretary expressed his gratitude for the collaboration between village government and TLM Foundation.

“Today we receive assistance for disability; hearing aids and mobility canes. This is really invaluable. Based on my observation earlier, there are children with hearing impairment since birth and this affect their communication skill, but after receiving hearing aids they can hear very well,” he said

Melki said that village government really supports the kid to be able to go to school. For that reason, they will encourage his families to send him to school. 

 “hopefully with the hearing aids, his ability to hear is getting better and he will also get better in communication. We need to consider his education because he is 8,” explained Melki.   

“for that, Oebobo village government is so grateful to our partner TLM Foundation for assisting Oebobo village with so many supports such disability support and clean water pump program for 2 hamlets,” he added.

He said that this collaboration will continue for the next 3 years. “We will continue to collaborate to provive optimal attention for the community,” he stated.

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 3^rd 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.