Collective action to improve nutrition in Timor-Leste

Hamutuk is an innovative, multi-sector program bringing more than 100 organisations together to enhance the collective impact of nutrition and food security projects in Timor-Leste. It makes use of a collaborative information management system that allows organisations to better coordinate their efforts.

Hamutuk started as a pilot in Manufahi in 2016. Since 2020, it has pivoted to leverage its digital platform for strengthening Forum NGO Timor-Leste’s (FONGTILs) multi-sector nutrition and food security response to COVID-19. It builds on existing efforts by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to strengthen FONGTIL’s capacity and expand their role in increasing food security in the country.

Through the use of a powerful partner coordination and reporting tool, Hamutuk aims to strengthen the systems that FONGTIL uses to manage information. This allows FONGTIL to plan a more effective response to food insecurity in the country.

On average, kids who are stunted complete 4.6 fewer grades in school than kids who aren’t.

Adults who were stunted as kids earn 21% less in adult wages than kids who weren’t.

Stunted kids face increased risk of developing chronic diseases, such as hypertension or diabetes, later in life.

Stunting is the outcome of chronic nutritional deficiency over time, causing irreversible damage to a child’s development. It’s visible when a child’s height is too low for their age. It often starts before birth and is perpetuated by poor food quality, inadequate child feeding practices, frequent infections and poor maternal health and nutrition.

In Timor-Leste, despite improvements, malnutrition remains widespread in rural and urban communities and across a range of household incomes. Nationally, around 46% of children under five are stunted — one of the highest rates in the world.

Preventing stunting has inter-generational human, social, and economic benefits for individuals, households and the nation. But to make a sustained impact for healthy future generations, we need to work better together. Evidence tells us we need to boost efforts in multiple sectors—including water, sanitation, education, family planning, agriculture, dietary diversity, child feeding and social inclusion.

A framework for multi-sector collaboration

Coordination

Hamutuk includes a nutrition resource library, a tool to spread government nutrition messages among partners, and supports the government’s monitoring and evaluation efforts.

Collaborative technology

Hamutuk’s online platform is designed to help partners communicate, collect data, and access shared information. It provides a collective dashboard for partners to view their contributions to shared goals, a shared event calendar so that they can coordinate their activities, and partner profiles to showcase their work and activities that aligned with priorities in SDG2 Consolidated National Action Plan for nutrition and food security (SDG2 CNAP NFS).

Hamutuk partners

The Government of Timor-Leste

F.A.S

WaterAid

"Protecting, promoting, and supporting maternal, infant and young child feeding practices through mother supports groups prevents stunting. "

Alola Foundation

"Promoting male engagement facilitates better health and nutrition outcomes for households."

Cooperativa Café Timor

"Health and hygiene facilities provided to adolescent girls in school increases rates of female secondary education."

Feto Asaun ba Sustenabilidade

"Living in a safe and inclusive environment supports the health and nutrition outcomes of all people."

Luta ba Futuru

"Ensuring all children have access to education and a year round supply of quality foods will ensure good nutrition and healthy lives. "

Luta ba Mudansa

Cooperativa Café Timor

Marie Stopes

RHTO

"Family planning prevents early pregnancy and allows for healthy pregnancy timing, leading to better nutritional outcomes for mothers and their children. "

Marie Stopes International

"Using multi-sector approaches, including nutrition education, small scale agriculture, and savings and loans schemes can combat malnutrition at the community level."

Grupu Kilbur Feto Malu

"Disability and nutrition are closely linked. Poor nutrition, especially among children, can lead to developmental delays and impairments which can lead to long-term disability."

Ra'es Hadomi Timor Oan (RHTO)

"Adequate sanitation, access to safe water and good hygiene practices help prevent undernutrition, 25% of stunting is caused by repeated diarrhoea in early life."

WaterAID

"Behavior change SMS messages for mothers and their families promoting antenatal care, access to skilled birth attendants, and in facility births improves maternal and child health outcomes."

Health Alliance International

"Reducing poverty and hunger by improving fisheries and aquaculture. "

World Fish

Our objectives

Strengthen FONGTIL’s members coordination and information management systems to improve partner activity reporting and monitoring in nutrition and food security (NFS).
Support FONGTIL’s engagement with the Prime Minister's Office (PMOs) to contribute to activity reporting specified in the SDG2 Consolidated National Action Plan for Nutrition and Food security (SDG 2 CNAP NFS).

Where we’re working

Partnering with FONGTIL and 100+ of its members to enhance the collective impact of nutrition and food security projects in Timor-Leste.