Honga, Kristina, and their children live in Sumba, an island in Indonesia’s east.
They are part of SurfAid’s NUSATANI program, which supports the local communities in the region to strengthen agricultural production on their family farms, stimulate income generation, and promote improved healthcare practices.
The family share roles with Honga and Kristina preparing the land and planting seeds, and the older children helping by watering the crops. Recently they attended a series of training sessions to improve their agricultural practice. Their eldest son Yanto joined in as he hopes to join his family farm one day.
Since the training, the family have switched to using organic materials for crop fertilisation. Additionally they’ve begun planting various types of vegetables to create diversified and sustainable sources of income. Their crops include pak coy, mustard greens, kale, and tomatoes.
“I no longer have difficulty purchasing nutritious vegetables to feed my children. They’re readily available in my own garden,” Kristina tells us.
The family sell some of their harvest to local residents, and keep some for their own cooking. They have been attending nutrition and cooking classes at their local community health post and learnt about the importance of making their vegetable intake more consistent.
Kristina learnt that there are many local ingredients that can be used in delicious meals for her family. Kale, for example, is high in vitamin K content which can be eaten in a variety of ways.
Kristina wants to continue providing healthy food for her children, especially her youngest Lia, so that her weight and height continue to increase as hoped.
“Thanks to the cooking classes, I now can prepare a range of nutritious, but also delicious food for my family,” she said.
With your continued support of SurfAid’s programs, food security can be an achievable goal for those living in remote Indonesian villages, like Kristina and Honda’s family.
With an increased focus on healthy behaviours, nutrition-sensitive sustainable agriculture and income opportunities, communities will be empowered to make positive change and continue the practices they have learned into the future.
Our work in these areas and across Indonesia is making a world of difference to the health outcomes of the local people and their communities.
Source: SurfAid International