Women’s Empowerment Shop Opened by RFTL and ADRA, SEI and EU

Women's Empowerment Shop Opened by RFTL and ADRA, SEI and EU

Dili, 5 November 2024 - As of today, the Secretariat of Rede Feto Timor-Leste (Women's Network of Timor-Leste) is home to the 'Women's Empowerment Shop' (Loja Hakbi'it Feto). Officially opened by Secretary of State for Equality (SEI) Mrs Elvina Sousa Carvalho and EU Ambassador to Timor-Leste Mr Marc Fiedrich, the shop showcases processed agricultural products of 15 women's groups from four municipalities. It was established as part of the Hakbi'it Feto project implemented by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and Rede Feto with funding from the European Union, the Austrian Development Agency, and ADRA Austria.

The Women's Empowerment Shop engages women in society and in economic activity by offering new business opportunities for production, processing, and marketing. It also addresses existing concerns about the availability of adequate space for women's groups to market their products. Through their project, ADRA Timor-Leste and Rede Feto facilitated trainings on farming, numeracy, literacy, and business skills. Savings and loans groups were established to facilitate access to funding, and through small grants food processing equipment and materials were offered for the groups to kick start their new activities.

The groups, Rede Feto members from Ainaro, Baucau, Bobonaro, and Dili, were officially registered as businesses with SEVRE IP and have obtained the necessary licenses to carry out their business. Their products include rice flour, tamarind candy, peanut butter, cookies, chips, crackers, noodles, chili sauce, tomato sauce, papaya jam, tempeh, turmeric powder, and fried onion. All the shop's products are local, so any purchase contributes directly to the empowerment of Timorese women's and development of the Timorese economy.

At the launch in Dili, EU Ambassador Marc Fiedrich said: "I congratulate Rede Feto and ADRA. And even more, I congratulate the women who produced and processed the products, and are selling them in the Loja Hakbi'it Feto. It's inspiring to see these concrete results. With some newly acquired skills, hard work and dedication, and with a little bit of help these Timorese women are now off to a new start."