NUTRITION FOR SOCIETY

Sumba Island is naturally dominated by rocks, so most of its territory is infertile for agriculture. Only river banks are suitable for vegetable and fruit planting, while the rest are farmland that rely on rainwater and irrigation from large rivers. Therefore, nutrition for the community is a crucial issue on the island, especially in areas far from traditional markets or food-producing places. Under the KBI – Kawan Sehat work program, we will explore food diversity to find all kinds of foods that can grow well in certain areas, to provide sufficient nutrition for the community, especially them. To support this program, we will work with organizations that have succeeded in similar projects in other fields to share knowledge and experience in creating a healthy lifestyle for the community.

 

WOMEN’S HEALTH

Women are often more susceptible to health problems. This is one of KBI’s concerns, especially for women in productive age. In Sumba, with a lack of access to decent health facilities, it is necessary to provide information and raise awareness about the importance of sanitation and hygiene, as well as healthy lifestyles for women; Reproductive health is one of the most important aspects, considering there are teenage girls who are victims of sexual abuse. This situation has forced them to give birth at a very young and immature age; Study the reproductive system in girls, victims of forced marriage when they are minors, often under 15 years of age; So, pregnancy support among minors. Many women in Sumba make a living by weaving traditional fabrics, where they have to sit while weaving for more than 8 hours per day; This greatly affects the position of their bodies, as many of them become crooked. During weaving, they must also sit on thin plastic sacks placed on dirty soil, which can also pose a health risk to their reproductive organs.

 

CHILDREN’S NEEDS

We believe that children are agents of change. Good education and experience during childhood will positively influence their behavior and way of thinking. The good things they learn at school will hopefully be applied at home, further affecting their family members, and ultimately bringing a positive impact to the wider environment. Therefore, it is important to teach children about healthy habits for their daily lives, such as washing hands and feet, brushing teeth, cutting nails, and wearing footwear. For some areas of Sumba Island, it may be difficult to apply it due to natural conditions, such as inadequate access to clean water. Even in certain places, people will have trouble buying toothbrushes and toothpaste, due to its remote location and economic difficulties. It is a challenge for KBI to help them, not only in terms of money or goods but also to provide alternative tools or materials that can be made into hygiene equipment. In this case, we can take a good example of workmanship from another island, where one can make toothbrushes from bamboo and other types of fibers for personal use, so it does not depend on the seller of toothbrushes and toothpaste.

 

DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION FACILITIES

Residents in disadvantaged areas are often found to lack proper sanitation facilities, due to lack of access to clean water, dry areas, and also awareness of the importance of sanitation facilities for their lives; Homes that are too close to a single roof with livestock cages, weak household wastewater disposal systems, are less well known to residents in disadvantaged areas that this is the cause of various diseases that can infect them; Poor drinking water and sanitation conditions and inappropriate hygiene practices reduce the quality of life and represent some of the causes of high rates of death and sickness of newborns and mothers in the region; Basic needs such as toilets (shower, wash, bathroom) are implemented in places that can be considered very simple, toilets without cover, unaccommodated water, etc. Inadequate drinking water, sanitation facilities, and poor hygiene practices exacerbate the situation for the affected population, leading to an increase in waterborne diseases and slowing the recovery of crisis-affected populations; Poor drinking water and sanitation facilities in schools, as well as inappropriate hygienic behavior among children, contributed to a decline in the quality of education in primary and secondary schools throughout the school. This, along with poor menstrual hygiene management among young girls at school, is one of the causes of absences at school and drop-offs.