Tunda Island: Caswi and A Better Food for Her Children

“I learnt how to make fish ball, fish crackers, and fish nuggets. I am happy to have such training…”

By Aloysius Suratin, Program Manager Building Opportunity, Oxfam GB Indonesia Office, Makassar Programme

 Caswi (29 years old), mother of 3 children, is a beneficiary who receives the training package from Unwrapped Gift Fund from Kampung Barat in Tunda Island. She and her family are living in a soil-floored house. The wall of the house is from bamboo. Her husband works as a traditional fishers and the income is very low. The bad weather in Tunda Island often made her husband back home without any fish catched. Quite often this family asking debt from their neighbour to fulfil their basic needs.

 “I ever went to Kuwait to work as migrant worker last 2 years to help my husband to afford a better live. Unfortunately, my hostess worse treated me. He did not paid my salary for my 2 years services and did not allowed me to go back to Indonesia. I am frustrated and left out my host and went back to Indonesia. I am disappointed. I cannot give anything to my children and my husband. I went to Kuwait to be a migrant worker because I want to build a better house for my family.” Cried Caswi.

Back home means back to the same condition again for Caswi. She is jobless. Still living in her poor house. Income of her husband is still low and she must asking debt again to her neighbour to buy food for her children. She also starts to feel worry about the education for her first child.

 

UNWRAPPED GIFTS

Caswi and  19 of other women from Kampung Barat formed a group last year. This women group started their activities by selling food in the village. As the group want to diversify their income  by selling the fish-sourced food but their skills and knowledge to produce such food is limited, Oxfam GB provide them with the Fish Processing Training that was delivered as a gift from Unwrapped on 26-28 October 2007. 

“I learnt how to make fish ball, fish crackers, and fish nuggets. I am happy to have such training. Now, I can show you how to make a good and delicious fish ball. And, one that is important is that my group is suddenly inspired to sell fish ball after the training” Said Caswi.

Now, Caswi and her group sell fish ball. It seems that the food stall that managed by the groups  now have more menu offering to their customer in the village. In a day, they can sell 40 bowls of fish ball with the price 1,500 rupiahs (US $ 0.16) per bowl.

“ I am happy now because we can add a new menu to our group food stalls. On Monday we sell fish ball, the next day we sell empek-empek (fishcake), pecal (vegetable salad), and siomay (steamed ravioli filled with meat and open on the top). At least, my children may have a better food.” Said Caswi.