Ayah Siaga dari Sumba Barat Daya
"Child nutrition is important. Since the birth of my first child, I have paid serious care for my children's nutritional needs. None of my children are malnourished, including my fifth child," says Alosius Bulu Delo (37), an aware father from Southwest Sumba Regency. Pak Alosius, as he is familiarly called, has five children. His first and second children are in junior high school, his third and fourth children are in elementary school, and his fifth child is still a toddler. The head of the family works as a corn and rice farmer.
On one occasion, Pak Alosius visited the home of an uncle who farmed tomato. He saw that his family was able to produce a good and profitable tomato harvest. This sparked Pak Alosius' interest in farming opportunities other than rice and corn. After he returned to his village, Pak Alosius began to develop a nutrition garden.
In 2022, he managed to cultivated 120m2 of land. He planted chicory vegetables. He was able to sell the harvest and earn Rp 1,000,000. In 2023, Pak Alosius' nutrition garden expanded to 390m2. He also increased the types of vegetables that he planted. This land is a new land with seeds of kale, long beans, and carrots.
"I used to get vegetables from a big farm quite far away and the vegetables were pumpkins, papaya leaves, and sweet potato leaves. In order to eat vegetables, we had to buy them at the market. The difficulty was not only that the distance from where we got the vegetables was far, but also that the vegetables were not variy, and if we bought them at the market, the price was expensive and they were no longer fresh. Therefore, I made a nutrition garden as a result of learning from my Uncle and also from the assistance of Wahana Visi Indonesia. So until now, I don't have to go far to get nutritious vegetables because everything is available next to my own house," said Pak Alosius. In addition to WVI, Pak Alosius Alosius' nutrition garden is also supported by the BNP Paribas IDX30 Philanthropy Fund 2022.
Pak Alosius is a father who understands and takes care of his children's nutritional needs. According to him, nutrition is very important for children's growth and development. If children are healthy, they will be smart. Providing and monitoring the food given to children is the responsibility of all parties. Not only mothers, but fathers also play an important role. In addition, caregivers, Posyandu cadres, neighbors, and the surrounding community who are the child's closest environment also play a role in monitoring the food given to children.
"After having our own nutrition garden, my children all eat vegetables, especially since the vegetables are already available next to the house. I also sell vegetables and tomatoes to be able to buy fresh fish or eggs," said Pak Alosius. Now, he can provide nutritionally balanced meals for his children. The Indonesian Pediatric Association (IDAI), during a media meeting entitled "Children's Snacks and Children's Health" (17/1), stated that the moment before National Nutrition Day is an emergency alarm to fulfill animal protein intake that can prevent children from stunting.
Pak Alosius' nutrition garden proves that his toddler's growth and development is in line with the child growth chart. Based on the latest Posyandu data, his two-year-old toddler weighs 12 kg with a height of 90 cm. A plate of balanced nutritious food is always available for his children. The vegetables are from his own nutrition garden, and the fish and eggs are from the sale of his own nutrition garden vegetables.
Currently, his nutrition garden still receives seed support from Wahana Visi Indonesia. However, the land, management, and maintenance are done by Pak Alosius. The village government where he lives also supports this activity. The results achieved by him are a good example for other fathers. Especially since the issue of stunting is a major focus for Southwest Sumba Regency.
Based on data from toddlers who attended Posyandu weighing in the WVI assisted area for the Southwest Sumba area, the prevalence of stunting was recorded at 20%. This data was obtained from weighing in February and August 2022. This condition is still worrying considering that stunting is closely related to a decrease in children's cognitive abilities in the future. Stunting has the potential to slow down brain development, with long-term impacts in the form of mental retardation, low learning ability, and the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity.
Pak Alosius' nutrition garden is a concrete action of how a father can be the determinant and guarantor of children's nutritional fulfillment. One healthy family, one smart family. One healthy village, one smart village.
Source:
Writer: Mariana Kurniawati (Communication Executive)
Contributor: Imanueljitro Millameza (WV Indonesia Staff in Southwest Sumba)
