Stunting & Malnutrition Prevention – UPKM/CD Bethesda YAKKUM East Sumba Region Along with the Lewa Tidahu Health Center Conducts Infant and Toddler Nutrition Socialization, and Local Food Training
January 22, 2023
Spirits of People Concerned for AIDS in Surya Sejahtera and Bener
January 23, 2023Local Food Creations, Main Choice for Increasing Nutrition of PLHIV
Products of Local Food Creation in Belu Regency
The program “Integrated prevention of HIV and AIDS transmission in Belu District” run by UPKM/CD Bethesda YAKKUM is a project that has an urgency and benefits that the community really feels, because previously very few parties cared about HIV and AIDS issues in Belu District. Various interventions were carried out by the HIV and AIDS program, apart from directly targeting PLWHA and OHIDA, but also involving the general public at the basic level, be it housewives, youth, fathers, or workers. Among the strategies used are capacity building through various trainings, the aim of which is to support and strengthen the integrated prevention of HIV transmission.
The forms of training provided to beneficiaries included local food processing training, training held by UPKM/CD Bethesda Yakkum Belu area on 17-18 September 2021, which was attended by the Peer Support Group (KDS) of Belu Regency and members of AIDS Concerned Citizens (known locally as WPA) from 2 Kelurahan and 5 Villages including Mama Ata (36 years) and 1 other person from the WPA cadre of Manleten Village. The training aims to equip participants to be able to process local ingredients that are abundant in the village into various types of food that can support the improvement of the nutrition of PLHIV. During the training, a facilitator specially brought in from Yogyakarta, Rosalia Mahanani, gave material on how to make flour and its processing. This knowledge was eventually passed on by Mama Ata to housewives around her neighborhood in Manleten Village, including families of people living with HIV and AIDS (OHIDHA).
Two weeks after the training, Mama Ata immediately followed up by making flour with 4 other housewives, by preparing the ingredients for making the cake in the form of purple sweet potato flour, banana flour and cassava flour. The three types of flour are processed products that have been made several days before.
Then on October 29, 2021 Mama Ata invited 11 housewives to process the available flour, by preparing cooking equipment and supporting materials, such as fresh fish, potatoes, moringa leaves, tofu, milk, cooking oil, onions, leaves celery, pepper, pumpkin and so on. Mama Ata deliberately invited 11 housewives to jointly make cakes using local food processing to support the nutrition of PLHIV.
Tindak Lanjut Pelatihan Pangan Lokal di Kabupaten Belu
Mama Ata prepared some of the equipment used in the activity, such as a serving plate, stove, steamer, tacu, silk, mortar, bowls, spoons, plates, forks, pudding cups and basins. However, there are several tools borrowed from CD Bethesda YAKKUM, including cake molds, filters, brownie pans, mixers, slicing boards and measuring cups. All the main ingredients used in local food processing are provided independently by Mama Ata, whose main ingredients are available in Manletense Village so that the manufacturing costs are relatively affordable. Wheat flour, which is usually used to make cakes, can be replaced with flour made from purple sweet potato, cassava and bananas which are available in this village.
This food processing activity made from local raw materials received a very good response from the housewives involved. The mothers were very happy and impressed with this activity, because they got experience and new skills in making various kinds of cakes and snacks using local food ingredients that were around them. Participants also learned about how local ingredients are processed into flour which is then used as a raw material in the preparation of various types of food that can support the nutrition of PLHIV. That day they succeeded in making various kinds of preparations such as purple sweet potato steamed cakes, banana steamed cakes, purple sweet potato brownies, moringa tofu meatballs, fish cakes, moringa tofu cakes, purple sweet potato pudding and pumpkin pudding.
There were 2 People Living with PLWHA who took part in the activity so they planned to process these foods to support the nutrition of HIV positive family members. Currently, there is one person living with PLWHA who makes processed local ingredients and gives them to his family members. Apart from that, the cadres of the Integrated Healthcare Center (locally known as Posyandu) of Halifunan Hamlet, together with Mama Ata, have also followed up by making pumpkin pudding which was distributed to toddlers in Posyandu activities.
WPA members and housewives in Halifunan Hamlet, Manleten Village hope for support from the Village Government, in this case the Manleten Village Family Welfare Development Team together with The People Concerned with AIDS Group and Wedomu Health Center, especially in the nutrition sector, to develop material processing local food that can support the nutrition of PLWHA and their families.* (Mariana Dince).
