Gunung Sitoli, Indonesia-Relief --
Last week, a mission from the International Labor Organization (ILO) and
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) visited office
of Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency for Aceh and Nias (BRR) in
Nias to discuss the possibility of both agencies in contributing to the
Nias reconstruction efforts.
The agencies, together with BRR office
in Nias, held meetings with community leaders in Mandrehe sub-district.
They discussed different approaches for how to relieve poverty in the areas,
said BRR on its weekly update on Monday.
One example that came up during the discussion was the price of rubber. Local producers only receive Rp 4,000 per kilogram from middlemen, while the price in Medan is around Rp 9,000 per kilogram. Rubber needs to be processed quickly, and the community leaders asked for a rubber processing plant to be placed in their region.
During their visit in Nias, UNIDO also carry out an assessment of industrial development on the island.
After their visit, ILO said it wants help develop the human resources in the area and form a cooperative (economic enterprise), while UNIDO will help develop Nias community industry. UNIDO is also preparing a proposal to build two micro hydro power plants in Nias.
Meanwhile, BRR's Nias team dedicated last week to meeting with people in the local communities. During a visit to Sirombu sub-district in West Nias, a woman who leads several women's working groups asked for a comprehensive program to improve their skills in mat-weaving and sewing, and to help them access the market with their products.© che