On 10 September 2023, SHEEP Indonesia Foundation (YSI) together with Tafena Hit Kuan Community Based Organisation (OMB) organised a campaign involving children and parents mostly from the local Karisin church community with more than 40 children and adults in attendance. The campaign was conducted in the form of a public cooking activity that introduced the use of local food ingredients and games that encouraged understanding of the importance of local food. The campaign and education also focused on children to increase their interest in local food consumption.
The findings in Oefeto village show that they tend to prefer rice and have the view that the local food available is not comparable in terms of taste compared to rice. This situation causes people to start ignoring local food and consider it as a less quality option when compared to rice. It is also known that the majority of the population in this area (Oefeto) are not rice farmers, and if anyone grows rice, they can only harvest once a year, with supplies that are often insufficient to meet the consumption needs of the people in Oefeto village. They also still depend on the intake and availability of rice from outside their area. From the history of the village, they have processed tubers and processed from pigs.
A representative from OMB Tafena Hit Kuan in his presentation on the sidelines of the activity emphasised that children not only need to know and consume, but also should feel proud and love local food which is a culinary heritage from their own region; so that they also have the ability to spread the spirit of local food consumption campaign to others. With an approach through cooking and playing, it is expected that information on the importance of local food can be more easily understood by the community. This fun atmosphere is expected to increase the awareness of the community and children about the importance of protecting local food as a step towards food independence. The activity will be carried out more widely by targeting more schools and children's play communities.