West Papua – The Integrated Village Economic Transformation (TEKAD) program encourages the role of Papuan mothers in driving the economy at the village level. One of them is in Iraiweri Village, Anggi District, Arfak Mountains Regency, West Papua.
“The women in Iraiweri Village have extraordinary enthusiasm and potential in developing agriculture. However, they are often overlooked in village economic planning. The TEKAD program is here to ensure that their voices are heard and their capacity is strengthened, so that women do not only work in the fields, but can also become the main driver of village economic development,” said Farid Maulidan, one of the TEKAD Facilitators in Anggi District.
“Our assistance focuses on empowering women, not only from the technical aspects of agriculture, but also in terms of management and marketing of agricultural products. We want women in Iraiweri Village not only to be field workers, but also leaders in driving the village economy,” he said.
Farid said that in the Participatory Planning for Village Economic Development (P3EK) activity held by the TEKAD Program in Iraiweri Village, one of the young women named Yulinda appeared as a real example of how women’s empowerment can bring change.
Although still in school, Yulinda is actively involved in agricultural activities with her family. She manages a small garden in her yard that grows a variety of vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, potatoes and leeks.
“Yulinda’s knowledge in managing the land, taking care of the plants, and determining the right harvest time shows that young women in the village are not only helpful, but also capable of leading in the agricultural sector,” she said.
In addition, the TEKAD program also invites women to be actively involved in village economic planning through participatory discussion forums. This is so that women can voice their needs and aspirations, so that every village development policy truly reflects the wishes of the entire community.
“We realize that without women, the sustainability of agriculture in this village is difficult to achieve. Therefore, we strive to build women’s capacity so that they can take a bigger role, both as farmers, community leaders, and local entrepreneurs,” she concluded.
The TEKAD program is intended to empower village communities to contribute to rural transformation and inclusive growth in Eastern Indonesia.
The goal of the program is for rural households to earn a stable and adequate income from the development of commodity-based production in their respective villages, so that rural households can develop sustainable livelihoods and make profits through strengthening governance at the village and district levels through support from MoV.