HATAJO contributes to improving maternal and child nutrition through productive activities

Youth Talent Development Group established in Liurai Aileu Villa in 2019, became the second winner of the youth group category for the Prime Minister's Nutrition Award 2021, during this time doing social activities for communities to contribute to improve the nutrition of mothers and children through local products are prepared by themselves.

Apolonario Tilman, as coordinator of HATAJO, said “This nutrition activity benefits many mothers and children in Liurai, through us making sasoro with local chicken meat to give them”. He also said they also prepare a super food menu composed of chicken, marungi, yellow cotton, sweet potatoes, orange talas, and keli beans prepared and contributed by HATAJO members.

Finance group, Joanita de Fátima also said they buy local products from members and communities to make juice, cakes and chips, sometimes get orders from NGOs to hold seminars, and make sweets for weddings or birthdays, then get money they put money into the group cash to use for other needs.

Joanita also added that not all members know how to make sweets from local food, so “we are currently practicing (learning), and our practice is every Saturday from other members who knows how to do it”, says Joanita.

Since its inception, Apollonariu explained, HATAJO members have received training through various workshops facilitated by Word Vision, RIAN and FADA Association. In addition, they received the Prime Minister's Nutrition Award 2021 in the amount of $ 3,000, and received social entrepreneurship stimulus from the Secretariat of State for Youth and Sports in the amount of $ 1,000, which HATAJO used to purchase kitchen utensils, make fish ponds and size 15x17 meters and planning to build a chicken coop on top of the fish pond.

The group was first established with members of 8 young women and 17 men, with the idea of ​​doing gotong-royong work to clean up coffee weeds, lere toos, rotational rice harvest among group members .

Currently the group not only focuses on productive activities, but they also facilitate Portuguese language and basic computer courses, as a training activity for members and other young people, and will open more courses in their Liurai Aileu-Vila to increase the knowledge of young people who are interested in learning.

HATAJO leader also explained that it is not easy to create a group involving many members, sometimes there are differences of opinion and poor communication, and sometimes even from the families themselves who challenge members with the words "why do you join this group" and volunteer only, why not look for work, why not see how to plant their own personal place better, why form a group again "said Apolonario Tilman.

He also added that, families also now recognize their gathering to benefit them all, such as they farm, grow vegetables and various products, clean coffee becomes easier because of working together and helping each other . In addition, members benefit from various trainings to increase their knowledge.

HATAJO has a small yard offered by the Pastor of the Assembly of God Church that they have fenced around the yard to plant clothes beans, various vegetables, and orange talas. HATAJO also plans to make soap from local products, including socializing about environmental conservation and planting trees to reforest and prevent natural disasters.

“There is an innovative idea to do, because some of us know how to transform local food into soap,” said HATAJO coordinator. He added that they have talked to several agencies, including OXFAM to support them equipment to make the soap.

Although HATAJO exists with their own strength, they contribute to the well-being of the communities, including benefiting their own members. With a motivation that, they can contribute to development and create their own jobs to sustain their own lives as productive young people.