Belu, January 14, 2026 - The Regional Government of Belu Regency pays great attention to the development of the Belu Regency area and the welfare of its people. One of the steps taken to maximize this is to build collaboration with various parties and stakeholders, including non-governmental institutions. In this regard, on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, the Head of BP4D Belu Regency, Fredrikus L. Bere Mau, ST, representing the Regional Government of Belu Regency invited non-governmental institutions in an activity entitled "Synergy and Collaboration between the Belu Government and Non-Government Development Partners".

In this activity, Inovasi Tangguh Indonesia (InTI) was invited together with six other non-governmental institutions engaged in the Belu Regency area: 1) UPKM/CD Bethesda YAKKUM, 2) YKPA Mitra ChildFund International, 3) Wahana Visi Indonesia, 4) Mitra Tani Mandiri Foundation, 5) Cirma Foundation, 6) Sang Bintang Foundation. Each institution was given the opportunity to explain the programs and activities they carried out in the Belu Regency area. The purpose of this activity is to avoid overlapping in terms of locus and funding with programs implemented by Local Government Organizations (OPD). In addition, the local government, in this case the technical OPD, can help, facilitate, and support all activities of non-governmental institutions.

"This activity is also to find out the type of program or activity that is carried out and identify whether there are institutions that carry out the same program or activity," said Fredrikus L. Bere Mau, ST.

"If it turns out that there is indeed the same and in the same area, we can help direct it to other areas that need these programs or activities, based on the data we have," Fredrikus added.

InTI, represented by Lydiana Taek, InTI's Program Officer who is stationed in Belu Regency on the occasion said that throughout 2025, InTI began important steps in the implementation of the MITLTW/TIWA program by preparing the foundation for work at the site level. This process began with the selection of two target areas covering four target villages. After that, InTI conducted gradual project socialization at the village, district, and provincial levels, as an effort to build mutual understanding and strengthen support from various parties from the beginning.

In the same year, InTI also conducted a number of studies to understand the social and policy context in the program area.

"The study includes stakeholder mapping, public policy analysis, and anthropological studies. The findings from these studies are then shared and discussed with relevant stakeholders, so that they become the initial foothold in designing interventions that are relevant to the local context," Lydia said.

Entering 2026, InTI will continue the program with an increasingly participatory and collaborative approach. Various activities are planned, ranging from safeguarding studies that include gender issues, the implementation of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), to the preparation of Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) as the basis for cross-regional joint analysis. In the future, InTI will also facilitate the establishment of collaboration spaces, such as the Joint Forestry Working Group (JFWG) and the Community Task Force (GTK), to encourage the active involvement of various parties as a manifestation of the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MSP) on Forestry Cooperation between Indonesia and Timor-Leste which is the basis of the MITLTW/TIWA program

"This entire process will lead to the preparation of a Strategic Action Program (SAP) as a guide for joint action that is expected to be able to answer the needs and welfare of the community in the watershed area, and support sustainable regional management," added Lydia.

Furthermore, InTI emphasized that the implementation of the MITLTW/TIWA program in Belu and Malacca also supports local governments in supporting the Government of Indonesia's efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6.5.2.

The Belu Regency Government appreciates the steps taken and will be implemented by InTI which will have an impact on the welfare of the community in the Belu Regency area. (InTI)