EU and WVI launch “ENVISION” project to improve village economy and community welfare in East Nusa Tenggara
European Union and Wahana Visi Indonesia Launch “ENVISION” Project to Improve Village Economy and Community Welfare in East Nusa Tenggara
Wahana Visi Indonesia (WVI), with financial support from the European Union worth €950,000 or IDR 16.6 billion, will implement a project "Enabling Civil Society for Inclusive Village Economic Development (ENVISION)". The project will strengthen civil society organisations in the management of Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes) in three districts in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province, namely Sumba Timur, Timor Tengah Selatan and Kupang. The project will target 50 villages and will promote the involvement of women and youth in the management of BUMDes and thereby improve the welfare of village communities.
In the Regional Mid-Term Development Plan of NTT Province for 2018-2023, the Provincial Government is targeting the establishment of 1,500 BUMDes in 2023. Until mid-2019, through the Village Community Development and Empowerment Programme (P3MD), 1,100 BUMDes were established in NTT but only 700 have registered as a business unit.
The ENVISION project will improve the capacity of village community to effectively and accountably manage the Village Fund, particularly as the fund continues to increase. In addition to the improvement of management capacity and accountability of BUMDes, the project encourages the involvement of women and youth. Women and youth will be equipped with technical skills, such as financial literacy and leadership. Enhanced participation of women can promote gender responsive planning and budgeting, and well-managed BUMDes with increased involvement of women and youth will provide significant benefits for improving the welfare of village community.
WVI, in collaboration with Alfa Omega Foundation, will provide technical support to 50 villages: Sumba Timur (15 villages), Timor Tengah Selatan (15 villages) and Kupang (20 villages). The support will last for 42 months (2020-2023) and various trainings will be provided for 50 civil society organisations, 50 BUMDes, 250 village facilitators, and also provincial, district and village governments.
"The target of the ENVISION project is to encourage involvement of women and youth in the management of BUMDes, and to improve the capacity of local governments in the management and supervision of BUMDes and Village Funds. We encourage this to be included in village regulations as one significant achievement indicator to ensure long-term sustainability. After all, by increasing the citizen participation in the management and supervision of BUMDes, it can bring welfare benefits to all," said WVI National Director, Doseba T Sinay.
"It is hoped that BUMDes will become the backbone of the village economy in the future. We hope that the ENVISION programme can become a pilot project for other BUMDes in TTS, so that BUMDes can really manage the village potential and bring prosperity," said E.P Tahun, Regent of Timor Tengah Selatan.
The Regent of Sumba Timur, Gidion Mbilijora, expressed a similar statement. "The signing of this MoU is a form of commitment of the government of Sumba Timur Regency to increase the capacity of civil society in Indonesia to be able to contribute to governance and the development process by respecting human rights and democratic principles," said Gidion.
“The European Union strongly supports the effective participation and engagement of women and youth, civil society organisations, and local governments for a better performance of Village-Owned Enterprises. This will support economic growth and improve the welfare of rural communities. The EU puts women's rights and youth engagement at the heart of its development policy; it has consistently worked to help prevent and eliminate violence against women. We also help women to attain their full empowerment, including their participation in all spheres of public life," said EU Ambassador Vincent Piket.
To launch the ENVISION project and reaffirm government commitment to support its implementation, the respective three Regents signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with WVI and Alfa Omega Foundation, and witnessed by the European Union.
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About European Union
The European Union (EU) is an economic and political union between 27 Member States. Together, they have built a zone of stability, democracy and sustainable development whilst maintaining cultural diversity, tolerance and individual freedoms. In 2012, the EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for advancing the causes of peace, reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe. The EU is the largest trade block in the world; as well as the world's largest source and destination of foreign direct investment. Collectively, the EU and its Member States are the largest donor of Official Development Assistance (ODA), providing more than half of ODA globally.
About Wahana Visi Indonesia (WVI)
Wahana Visi Indonesia (WVI) is a Christian humanitarian social foundation that works for the welfare of children. WVI always strives to make sustainable changes to the lives of children, families and communities living in poverty, and dedicates itself to working with the most vulnerable communities regardless of religion, race, ethnicity and gender. Since 1998, the Wahana Visi Indonesia Foundation has been running a community development program that focuses on children. Hundreds of thousands of children in Indonesia have benefited from the WVI mentoring program.