Paulina Quintao – The government through the National Commission of Food Security and Nutrition (KONSSANTIL) held a meeting with non-government organizations to evaluate the progress and discuss the continuation of the implementation of the National Action Plan to end Hunger and Malnutrition in Timor-Leste (PANHAM-TIL).
The head of the Security Food Department (DSA), Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery (MAP), Rofino Soares Gusmao said the main purpose was to ask civil society ideas about the implementation of PANHAM-TIL in the future because many NGOs work in food security.
After launching PANHAM-TIL in 2014, he said KONSSANTIL commission consulted with the line ministries and civil society to implement and pilot several activities in the sukus.
The pilot sukus were undertaken in Afasasuku in Quelikai administrative post, in the Municipality of Baucau, Dau-Udusuku in Cailaco administrative post, in Municipality of Bobonaro, Fahi-Nehansuku in Fatuberlihu administrative post of Municipality of Ainaro.
"We want to make a reliable and honest activity from the line Ministries that responds to the existing plan for food security and nutrition," he said in FONGTIL office, Kaikoli, Dili.
In the past KONSSANTIL has not made significant progress, however now, some changes in the community have been made with the pilot in suku's where nutritious food is being planted in the field, and learning is taking place about nutrition and healthy food.
Changes take time and encouragement is needed to support the community in understanding nutritious food and how important food grown locally is for families rather than rely on food from other countries.
"We need to organize a campaign in the community on how to use the local food because the reality is most of us ignore our own products," he said.
He added that intervention was made by KONSSANTIL to provide education and promotion, develop family fields and rice distribution, as at this point rice is not being produced in Dau-Udusuku only maize.
He said more than 900 families of the three sukus were the beneficiaries of this pilot program.
However, to reach this goal, the head of the Security Food Department (DSA), Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery (MAP), Rofino Soares Gusmao said an integrated service between Ministries is needed, with the reality in the pilot sukus being, no clean water and difficult access because of the roads.
In support of the department, the Executive Director FONGTIL, Arsenio Pereira da Silva said this is were the civil society has a very important role for people's well-being and the development of Timor-Leste.
He said this is a very good policy to end hunger and malnutrition in Timor-Leste, and to have an integrated service response, along with sufficient production to ensure people consume safe and healthy food.
"In Timor-Leste, we always have food, the problem is the lack of nutrition, we think that the main thing is to feel full without looking at the nutrition balance," he said.
The civil society had strong sustainable agriculture, now the need at the National level is to provide good technical support to farmers and education and nutrition to the communities.