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Local Food Curriculum: When jagung bose and se’i sapi enter the classroom in Timor Tengah Selatan

Every Thursday, the atmosphere of class 6A at SD GMIT 01 Soe in Timor Tengah Selatan (TTS) District, East Nusa Tenggara, changes from an ordinary study room into a shared kitchen. Students are divided into groups — some pounding white maize in a mortar, others sorting vegetables or preparing beef to be grilled. That day they are learning to make three dishes typical of Timor: jagung bose (hulled maize), se’i sapi (smoked beef) and sambal luat. Everything is done with traditional tools such as the mortar (lesung), the winnowing tray (nyiru) and the wood-fired stove.

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Local food in the classroom: Sowing nutrition and climate resilience in the young generation

For Mr Erwin, Mrs Erwina and Mrs Resky, local food is more than just a slogan. Eating sweet potato from the home garden, picking vegetables and fruit straight from the tree, cooking fresh fish just caught from the river — these were all part of their childhood. Yet for some of their students, that experience feels foreign, gradually displaced by instant and processed foods. Now, through the classroom and the school grounds, children are learning that local food is an important part of their lives.

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Seeds of Resilience: How Women’s Field Schools Are Changing Lives in Indonesia’s Driest Province

Four years ago, Yanti Nomnafa had a clear idea of what she wanted. "I want to learn," she said. "I want to be confident enough to speak in front of people. I want to process what I harvest better so I can provide for my family."

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How Science and Inclusion are Changing Peatland and Watershed Management in Indonesia

The devastating wildfires in 2015 left a mark on South Sumatra that residents have not forgotten. Nearly half of the fires that year burned across degraded peatland. Since then, the province – home to the second-largest peatland area on the island of Sumatra – has pushed to protect its peat more effectively. 

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From waste to wealth: Organic Fertilizer as a Pathway to Climate-Resilient Livelihood

Fredik Baitanu had an idea why his vegetable crops were wilting and underperforming season after season. The clay-textured, grayish-white earth on his farm in Netpala village was a clear sign of poor nutrient content — quality fertilizer, he believed, was the answer. But he could not always afford it.

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Women’s empowerment needs innovative financing: Lessons from the Women’s School initiative in Timor Tengah Selatan

Since 2024, the Women’s Schools in several villages in Timor Tengah Selatan (TTS) District, East Nusa Tenggara, have been financed largely through self-funding. Innovative financing — particularly village funds — would support the continuity of this initiative.

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Local food in Isi Piringku

The “4 Sehat 5 Sempurna” (4 Healthy 5 Perfect) principle is no longer used as a nutritional reference in Indonesia. Since 2014, the government has replaced it with the “Balanced Nutrition Guidelines” (Pedoman Gizi Seimbang), which take a more holistic approach — emphasising not only the types of food consumed, but also balanced portions, physical activity, and a clean and healthy lifestyle overall.

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Pada’idi Kitchen Garden: the heartbeat of Massila Village

Every week, the Instagram account @kebundapurpadaidi shares simple snapshots of daily life in Massila Village: women planting seedlings, watering and fertilising crops, while men repair garden beds or gather harvested vegetables to take home. Together, these activities capture a garden that is more than just a plot of land – it is also a shared learning space that has grown out of a shared spirit.

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Rediscovering Indonesia’s local food heritage

In East Nusa Tenggara, there is a food preparation made from pumpkin or wax gourd, mixed with salt and then roasted. It is called Bok Tunu (Bok, from Boko, meaning pumpkin, and Tunu, meaning roasted). Information about this local dish is hard to find on search engines such as Google, yet it is documented on WikiPangan.id.

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