Community Health and Nutrition (Timor Leste)

Timor-Leste has one of the highest malnutrition rates among children in the world. Our partner, the Protestant Church of Timor-Leste (IPTL) through their agency, Fundasaun Sosial Naroman (FUSONA Foundation), has a goal to develop food security to overcome malnutrition of children and women through this project. This is a shift away from operating health clinics.

A major initiative is to train FUSONA staff and community members to create and run kitchen gardens to increase the reliable supply of fresh food to families and decrease spending on imported nutrition-poor foods. Nutrition education will also contribute to reduction in malnutrition and disease and promotion of healthy living.

Another key piece of work for the church is in child protection and safeguarding. 42% of Timor-Leste’s population is under the age of 14. That is a lot of young people to be nurtured and guided, all of them the children of parents traumatised by years of conflict during the fight for independence. The IPTL Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy will be in place to educate the project participants, congregations and Sunday School children about child protection and violence and non-violent behaviours.

While this work is underway, IPTL and FUSONA will continue institutional strengthening activities, including staff training and organisational governance.

You can support this project to develop kitchen kitchen gardens to combat the food crisis. It costs just $90 for a family to set up a kitchen garden on their own land or in a community space offered by the church. It covers a variety of seeds, tools, training sessions and ongoing support by our partner’s program teams.