Japan continues to support farmers and community people of Atsabe Partnering with CARE International Japan
2022/2/14
Making compost at the horticulture training
Water tank and plastic tunnel
A vegetable garden a month after the horticulture training
Japan continues to support farmers and community people of Atsabe partnering with CARE International Japan. Masami KINEFUCHI, Ambassador of Japan and Yoko ITO, representative of CARE International Japan signed a grant agreement on the “Atsabe Rural Development Project for Improvement of Agricultural Water Supply System in Ermera District (HAFORSA 2) Project” on 14th February. This is the 2nd year-contract of the 3-year projects totaling US $349,722, following the successful completion of HAFORSA 1 Project (2016-2019).
The HAFORSA projects support farmers’ groups in Atsabe, in Ermera Municipality, by establishing water supply system to provide water for daily household use as well as for irrigation for vegetable production. The projects also include construction of special facilities to introduce drip-irrigation farming to the local farmers’ groups in the region. Furthermore, the projects offer training on maintenance of the facilities and on the new horticulture farming method that has not been introduced before. Throughout the implementation of the projects, CARE Japan will also focus on gender equality and empowerment of women.
Last year, in HAFORSA 1 project, five targeted Farmers’ Groups built water supply facilities and plastic tunnels where they installed drip irrigation systems with their own hands so that they can harvest vegetables all year round. The project also provided seeds of the vegetables such as tomatoes, broccolis, lettuces, eggplants, as well as some farming tools including hoes, plows and rakes to help kick start production. Some of the groups have started selling their products for local school feeding programs and at local markets. In the second year, CARE International Japan plans to implement the similar programs to support another seven Farmers’ Groups.
Ambassador KINEFUCHI expressed his confidence that CARE International Japan will successfully carry out the project in the second year based upon their previous achievements, saying, “Japan has been supporting Timor-Leste in various projects, especially through building many large-scale infrastructure. But at the same time we have assisted many smaller scale projects, directly benefitting people in rural areas and this project is one of those important efforts. I sincerely hope that these projects will bring better life to the people in Atsabe.”
The HAFORSA projects support farmers’ groups in Atsabe, in Ermera Municipality, by establishing water supply system to provide water for daily household use as well as for irrigation for vegetable production. The projects also include construction of special facilities to introduce drip-irrigation farming to the local farmers’ groups in the region. Furthermore, the projects offer training on maintenance of the facilities and on the new horticulture farming method that has not been introduced before. Throughout the implementation of the projects, CARE Japan will also focus on gender equality and empowerment of women.
Last year, in HAFORSA 1 project, five targeted Farmers’ Groups built water supply facilities and plastic tunnels where they installed drip irrigation systems with their own hands so that they can harvest vegetables all year round. The project also provided seeds of the vegetables such as tomatoes, broccolis, lettuces, eggplants, as well as some farming tools including hoes, plows and rakes to help kick start production. Some of the groups have started selling their products for local school feeding programs and at local markets. In the second year, CARE International Japan plans to implement the similar programs to support another seven Farmers’ Groups.
Ambassador KINEFUCHI expressed his confidence that CARE International Japan will successfully carry out the project in the second year based upon their previous achievements, saying, “Japan has been supporting Timor-Leste in various projects, especially through building many large-scale infrastructure. But at the same time we have assisted many smaller scale projects, directly benefitting people in rural areas and this project is one of those important efforts. I sincerely hope that these projects will bring better life to the people in Atsabe.”