Life in the village was difficult for Fatima, a young mother in rural Timor Leste. Nutritious food was hard to come by.

Last year, Action on Poverty and Timor Aid began working in Fatima's village to address their water and food security needs. They invited 35 farmers, including Fatima, to participate in a training course on basic agriculture and animal husbandry skills specific to their locality. The training covered simple techniques to protect crops, such as building fences around crops and covering seedlings with palm leaves to shield against the harsh midday sun.

Since the training, Fatima's village has built new kitchen gardens, chicken coups and fish farms using locally sourced materials. The village has been able to earn a small profit by selling their surplus crops at market. Fatima says she's happy to have received the training, and she's proud to be able to provide nutritious meals for her family every day.

Action on Poverty is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program.