Oe-cusse, February 4, 2025 (Média Democracia) – The Maneo Association held a Disaster Ready Program (DRP) in two villages, such as Suni-Ufe in the Nitibe sub-region and Naimeko in the Pante Makasar sub-region. This activity focuses more on disaster response and resilience to climate change.
According to the Executive Director of Maneo, Ramela da Costa, this activity received support from Oxfam Timor-Leste through a program called DRP to see firsthand the disaster that occurred in Suni-Ufe and Naimeko Villages.
“This activity is a disaster response activity, we also have an El-Nino program that focuses on climate change. In this activity we conduct conservation of existing springs and technicals with the community and KDS members to create clean water reservoirs so that they can distribute clean water to the community.” Said the Executive Director of the Maneo Association
She continued, in Suni-Ufe Village, two springs can be preserved and in Naimeko Village, one spring can be preserved, and currently the Maneo Association has made canals on the springs to be offered to the community, building three tanks that received support from the El-Nino project.
“Previously we conducted observations of springs in protected areas, but the community did not care enough to build fences around the place because many animals damaged the springs, and also some farmers every year always make land near the springs and burn carelessly. So, the volume of the springs continues to decrease during the long summer,” She said.
She added that after the program intervention, the Maneo Association made changes to efforts to preserve the spring by building a fence around the spring with the community so that it could protect the water from being damaged by animals.
“Together with the community, we create agricultural techniques such as “terraserin” for water fishing, we also create “dasmokto” including planting productive trees such as chili, dragon fruit including several plants that can make water growth.” She added.
She emphasized that in each village the groups are also different, in Suni-Ufe Village there are four groups concentrated in two water sources and in Naimeko Village now look at the DRP there are five groups including ‘hakbiit haforsa’, (strengthening).
To explain better that the funds that support this program come from Oxfam Timor-Leste, but have different financial programs such as the DRP program which usually receives 10,000 to 15,000 million annually but the HAMRIIK project with 30,000 USD. However, in the El-nino program as a new bilateral addition that receives finance with a total of 15,000 to 20,000 million.
Reported by : Nelfiano
Picture by : Nelfiano