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UN PhotoTIMOR LESTE / WORLD FOOD DAY
STORY: TIMOR LESTE / WORLD FOOD DAY
TRT: 05:37
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: TETUM / ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 03 SEPTEMBER 2024, ALDEIA BAHADATO, SUCO FATULIA, TIMOR-LESTE
1. Various shots, aerial views of rice paddy field, corn plantations and trees
2. Various shots, farmer in the field
3. Various shots, running fresh water
4. Various shots, irrigation canal gates
5. SOUNDBITE (Tetum) Edviges da Costa Gusmao, Chief, Aldeia Bahadatu:
“We are happy with this project. before we used to cultivate the rice field just one time in a year but now, with the new system of irrigation, we already tried out cultivating the rice field 2 times in a year.”
6. Tilt down, Aldeia Bahadatu Chief, Edviges da Costa Gusmao and Suco Fatulia Chief Angelino Moises Pereira opening irrigation canal gate
7. Various shots, water running through irrigation canals
8. SOUNDBITE (Tetum) Angelino Moises Pereira, Chief, Suco Fatulia:
“After the UNDP-GCF project intervention here through the irrigation system, now our community cultivates rice two times in a year, before only one time in a year. UNDP through Raebia also implemented agroforestry activities and tree planting and made this site become a great environment, protecting the water source. Erosion and landslide are not hampering the irrigation system. By this activity now, the community is educated do not allow their animals everywhere.”
9. Various shots, aerial views of rice paddy field, corn plantations and trees
10. SOUNDBITE (Tetum) Americo Ximenes Pereira, Agricultor:
“I planted 650 trees in first garden and 26 trees in the second garden. In total I planted 676 trees.”
11. Wide shot, fields and trees
12. SOUNDBITE (Tetum) Americo Ximenes Pereira, Agricultor:
“There are various types of trees, rambutan, snake fruit and other tress but at this moment not yet ready. The fruits will take 3-5 years to be ready to eat and sell.”
13. Pan right, fields and trees
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Mateus Soares Maia, Representative of Raebia NGO:
“Before we plant the trees, we delineate the contour line by using a frame, in order to have a line, and we plant the trees along the contour line. This is the line. So, with this technique, we protect this canal and also the irrigation.”
15. Various shots, irrigation canals
16. SOUNDBITE (Tetum) Cancio Pereira dos Reis, Agricultor:
“In our management of the irrigation system all the farmers monitor and see if there is some site not getting water. We need to close some sites and let water go to the site that is not getting water to ensure all sites get enough water for respective cultivation of the rice fields.”
17. Various shots, irrigation canals
18. SOUNDBITE (Tetum) Edviges da Costa Gusmao, Chief, Aldeia Bahadatu:
“Women had an important role in this project of irrigation scheme and agroforestry activity. Women had active participation in all activities such as physical work during the rehabilitation of irrigation scheme, doing horticulture activities, planting sweet potato, cassava, taro, planting trees and fishpond activity.”
19. Various shots, planted corn
20. SOUNDBITE (Tetum) Angelino Moises Pereira, Chief, Suco Fatulia:
“The project intervention has given the space for the government to come to Suco Fatulia, to see it has a lot of potential for rice fields. We need continued support for the irrigation scheme and water source availability. With the water source available, the government did the detailed measurement and calculation that the water source is enough to supply the community of Venilale. Again, we appreciate UNDP because it has given opportunity to all government sector to come and invest in more activities in Suco Fatulia, in Aldeia Bahadatu.”
21 Aerial shot, farmers and fields
In a remote village of the island nation of East-Timor an intervention based on irrigation infrastructure and agroforestry is giving a new life to food production and helping the community to turn the tide against food insecurity.
Aldeia Bahadatu, located in Suco Fatulia, was impacted in the last decades by drought, water scarcity, deforestation, erosion and landslides. The fields that had once been lush and green turned barren, and the crops failed. The yields families depended on dwindled by nearly 40 percent.
The Chief of Aldeia Bahadatu, Edviges da Costa Gusmao, highlighted the significance of the new irrigation system.
SOUNDBITE (Tetum) Edviges da Costa Gusmao, Chief, Aldeia Bahadatu:
“We are happy with this project. before we used to cultivate the rice field just one time in a year but now, with the new system of irrigation, we already tried out cultivating the rice field 2 times in a year.”
The head of Suco Fatulia, Angelino Moises Pereira explained the benefits of the project.
SOUNDBITE (Tetum) Angelino Moises Pereira, Chief, Suco Fatulia:
“After the UNDP-GCF project intervention here through the irrigation system, now our community cultivates rice two times in a year, before only one time in a year. UNDP through Raebia also implemented agroforestry activities and tree planting and made this site become a great environment, protecting the water source. Erosion and landslide are not hampering the irrigation system. By this activity now, the community is educated do not allow their animals everywhere.”
The reconstruction of the irrigation system was combined with agroforestry techniques on the slopes to protect the water source from landslide impacts. The project has already promoted the planting of 14,665 trees.
Farmer Americo Ximenes Pereira played a central role in tree planting.
SOUNDBITE (Tetum) Americo Ximenes Pereira, Agricultor:
“I planted 650 trees in first garden and 26 trees in the second garden. In total I planted 676 trees.”
SOUNDBITE (Tetum) Americo Ximenes Pereira, Agricultor:
“There are various types of trees, rambutan, snake fruit and other tress but at this moment not yet ready. The fruits will take 3-5 years to be ready to eat and sell.”
Mateus Soares Maia, representative of the NGO Raebia, explained that the government participated in the inauguration of this irrigation canal and committed to inaugurating another soon in the region.
He explained some of the steps involved.
SOUNDBITE (English) Mateus Soares Maia, Representative of Raebia NGO:
“Before we plant the trees, we delineate the contour line by using a frame, in order to have a line, and we plant the trees along the contour line. This is the line. So, with this technique, we protect this canal and also the irrigation.”
The irrigation project included developing an intake structure, installing an intake gate, lining 415 meters of the channel with stone masonry, constructing 500 square meters of gabion walls and revegetating 1,500 square meters of landscape, creating thus a more resilient agricultural landscape.
Farmer Cancio Pereira dos Reis described the operation of the system.
SOUNDBITE (Tetum) Cancio Pereira dos Reis, Agricultor:
“In our management of the irrigation system all the farmers monitor and see if there is some site not getting water. We need to close some sites and let water go to the site that is not getting water to ensure all sites get enough water for respective cultivation of the rice fields.”
Chief Da Costa Gusmao highlighted the role of women in the project.
SOUNDBITE (Tetum) Edviges da Costa Gusmao, Chief, Aldeia Bahadatu:
“Women had an important role in this project of irrigation scheme and agroforestry activity. Women had active participation in all activities such as physical work during the rehabilitation of irrigation scheme, doing horticulture activities, planting sweet potato, cassava, taro, planting trees and fishpond activity.”
Chief Pereira detailed the role played by the government, UNDP, the NGO Raebia, and the community.
SOUNDBITE (Tetum) Angelino Moises Pereira, Chief, Suco Fatulia:
“The project intervention has given the space for the government to come to Suco Fatulia, to see it has a lot of potential for rice fields. We need continued support for the irrigation scheme and water source availability. With the water source available, the government did the detailed measurement and calculation that the water source is enough to supply the community of Venilale. Again, we appreciate UNDP because it has given opportunity to all government sector to come and invest in more activities in Suco Fatulia, in Aldeia Bahadatu.”
The Ministry of Agriculture also provided three hand tractors to farmers in Aldeia Bahadatu.
According to UNDP, there was a 10-15 percent increase in crop yield, resulting in an additional volume of 300 to 450 kilograms of rice per hectare. This directly improved the food security of 918 residents and reduced malnutrition by approximately 12 percent, benefiting more than 119 children.
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