The Food Security Program is one of the various programs of the Jesuit Social Service (JSS) of Timor-Leste. It began its implementation in 2022 through community consultation, and has implemented activities last year. The program works directly with community members and schools to focus on the area of ​​agriculture. The main objective of the project is to support and empower community members to lead the implementation of activities to improve agricultural development and food security.

In 2023, the Food Security Program has carried out various activities together with the communities of Matata District, Railaco Administrative Post. Community members who work directly with the Food Security Program are 82 households with a total population of 507; composed of 264 men and 243 women. In addition to working with households, it also works with EBF Matata to directly involve 34 students; composed of 19 men and 15 women, and also three teachers (one man and 2 women) who are directly involved in accompanying the students. After conducting community consultation and baseline survey, the Food Security Program identified two more communities, Maukilormata (in late 2023) and Hlalmeta (in early 2024).  The total number of households in Maukilormata is 34 with a total population of 181, comprising of 75 females, and 106 males. Next, the total number of households in Hlalmeta is 43 with a total population of 241 composed of 110 women, and 131 men.  Administratively, these two communities are part of Aileu Municipality, but these are located closer to Ermera Municipality. Therefore, these communities have very little access to support and cooperation with other parties such as government and non-governmental organizations.

The food security program is also now working with NOSSEF – a high School administrated by Jesuits located in Railaco, Ermera. It cooperates directly with 33 male students and one teacher living in dormitories with a total of 34.  

Why do we work with households? In JSS’s intervention through the Food Security Program, we work together with households because we identify from consultation with communities that family members are usually involved in agricultural activities such as growing food and vegetables. Agricultural activity is not just one person’s job.

By the end of 2023, it has been identified that the main people involved in growing food and vegetables are usually parents, and at times will be supported by children, family member including daughters-in-law. On the other hand, the Program also works with schools to focus on school gardens.

This is an activity that is identified by communities as an important activity that benefits students. This is an initiative to continue the School Garden program that has previously been implemented by the Government. The purpose of the school garden is to introduce students to agriculture at an early age.

In the implementation of the Food Security program, the JSS team focused on the following main activities, including some achievements:

• Identify and protect community water sources, including planting trees near identified water sources. water wells in Matata District and 10 wells in Maukilormata. In June 2024, through cooperation with the Government, the program will receive support for 1,200 seedlings from the Permanent Nursery Center in Maubara, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries of Ermera Municipality. These trees have been planted in the communities of Matata and Maukilormata. By 2024, more springs will be identified in Hlalmeta and trees will also be planted near the springs there.
• Build networks with service partners to support the implementation of activities. Strong partnerships have been established with the government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAP) Ermera and the Permanent Beverage Center in Maubara, Liquica. It also establishes partnerships with non-governmental organizations such as TiLoFe, Parmatil and others.

• Implementation of agricultural training. The trainings include organic fertilizer and organic pesticide training, tree planting training and water source protection, and sugarcane planting training (from preparing the site for planting sugarcane, preparing seeds to harvest).

To date, the households that have received this training have learned good techniques for planting and making organic fertilizers and pesticides. Some of the harvested sugar is used for family consumption, and when the resin is sold to neighbors or taken to the market. The best news is we have a good progress from the groups in Maukilormata. In June 2024, households in Maukilormata have managed to sell their products to the company Farm Pro, which buys vegetables directly. This shows that, from them. when agricultural services give good results, farmers will not go to the market, but the market will reach their place.

• School garden, targeting one school each year (2023 – EBF Matata School; 2024 – NOSEF School, Railaco).

• Exchange between communities (Year 2023 – Community Exchange Matata and Maukilormata to Maukurus Foundation (FMK) on planting sugarcane; Participated by a total of 11 community members: 2 from Maukilormata, and 9 from Matata).
• Capacity building through agricultural training for JSS – Food Security Program. The Food Security Team participated in agricultural training in Indonesia at the Taman Tani Salatiga Agriculture Course (KPTT Salatiga) held this July 2024.  The teams that have participated in the training will be organized to share agricultural practices with other JSS members in August or September 2024.

• Monitoring and Evaluation. The food safety team continues to monitor and evaluate the activities that have been implemented to measure the impact of the interventions.

The activities mentioned above are the main activities that will be implemented from 2023 to 2024. This is to ensure that we are able to transmit the lessons and practices of organic agriculture to the communities that work with us.

In addition to some of the achievements mentioned above, the Food Security Team also recognizes that we also face some challenges. Among these challenges, one is that community members always have different priorities that they must attend to. Therefore, sometimes the plan to conduct a training that was agreed in advance, must be changed to fit in with other community members’ activities.

Another way that the team does is that when conducting training, the team will not use the whole day. But the team will use a maximum of half a day of the communities’ time, and allocate the rest of the time to another day. So, community members can participate in activities, and also have the opportunity to meet their other needs. This is the work that the JSS Food Security Program team has been doing. This team consists of two staffs:  a project manager and a project officer. In 2024, the team will continue to work to achieve the planned program objectives.

By: Elsa Pinto