Women-focused CSOs in Four Municipalities Implement Farmer Market School (FMS) Program

The selected CSOs have completed the FMS Training of Trainers conducted in June 2022, and have been equipped with training materials and financial support to deliver the FMS sessions to their targeted women groups. The program aims to increase the capacity of women groups on market identification, conducting market survey, negotiation with the buyers and facilitating collective selling mechanism to take the products to market in an efficient way.    

The CSOs selected to implement Farmer Market School are Fundasaun Kolegas da Paz (KDP) in Baucau, Asosiasaun Unidade Feto ba Dezenvolvimentu (AUFD) in Bobonaro, Fundasaun Esperança in Ainaro, and Centro Nossa Senhora do Rosario (CNSR) in Dili.

ADRA Timor-Leste and Rede Feto Timor-Leste continue to empower women to actively involve in value chain and market activities through the Hakbiit Feto Project. With this FMS program, the Hakbiit Feto Project will enable the women groups, including home-business owners, to understand and to take part in the market systems and develop the profitable value chains in an efficient, effective and sustainable way.  The objective of the project is that more women will be participating and making decision in the market and economic activities that lead to increase household incomes and resilience.

The action will empower women by increasing their engagement in society and the economy through participation in value chains and market systems.

“By supporting women specifically we are supporting the development of Timor-Leste. This support to local farmers is very important because we believe that women should have equal opportunities to increase their skills and actively participate in the market economic,” said the Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation to Timor-Leste, Ramon Reigada

The Executive Director of Rede Feto Timor-Leste, Pascoela Aida da Costa Exposto added: “We thank a lot to the EU support to our four members of REDE FETO through the accompany of ADRA Timor-Leste to implement the program Farmer Market School under the project “Hakbiit Feto” to help improve the capacity of women in municipalities on how their agriculture products access to market and to increase their domestic earnings.”  

The Hakbiit Feto Project is a four-year project implemented with financial support from the European Union and Austrian Development Agency.