Pili Nuts and Their Impact on Family Welfare

#BersamaMelawanCovid19 - On the hot sunny day, a group of women was seen enjoying laughter with their hands busy in peeling pili nuts. They are pili nuts peelers who are assisted communities of the Moringa project (More Income Generated for Poor Families in Indonesia) implemented by Wahana Visi Indonesia (WVI) with support of the Australian government since 2019. Through this intervention, at least 200 farming families in Nailang Village, Alor, NTT has received an increase in income.

Pili nuts are not easy to sell in NTT. The price is often very low. People usually buy only on religious holidays for about IDR 15,000 to IDR 20,000 per kg. However, after the Moringa project conducted program analysis and intervention, pili nuts began to be recognized and sought after by the domestic market and even exports.

Together with TIMURASA, a community company, partnered with WVI to assist the technical process of stripping and quality of pili nuts, to reach wider market access. This collaboration turned out to be a sweet fruit. The price of water walnuts slowly rises above the price of IDR 40,000 per kg and peeled pili nuts for IDR 70,000 to IDR 80,000 per kg.

This pumped up the enthusiasm of the farmers to continue collecting walnuts which were then sold to village collectors. Furthermore, Vony Asafa is responsible as the Regency collector, as well as a TIMURASA trustee in ensuring quality and delivery.

The training and assistance provided by the Moringa and TIMURASA project teams had a significant impact on the welfare of the people of Nailang Village. Especially when the Covid-19 pandemic occurred.

Community income that continues to run consistently helps the community to continue to survive in the pandemic. They have joint activities and continue to prioritize cleanliness when they have to work.

"We usually do handwashing after came into the house. All the workers also wash their hands before and after work. The good habit makes the children who came also finally followed the handwashing routine," Vony told. 

Through the Covid-19 pandemic emergency response, WVI and TIMURASA make another collaboration to provide a unit of handwashing with soap (CTPS) which was placed in a pili nuts production house. Not only by pili nuts peeler, but this facility can also be accessed and used by all Nailang Village residents.  

Food hygiene is the main key to a product in a pandemic. Through the available CTPS facilities, it is hoped that pili nuts costumers will always be there. So, the welfare of the children and the Alor community continues to be guaranteed.

Written by: Hestin Klaas, Moringa Project Team Leader NTT Wahana Visi Indonesia