Maliana, 24 September 2024. The National Committee for Intangible Cultural Heritage of Timor-Leste (KOMNAS PKI TL) through the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Timor-Leste National Commission for UNESCO (TLNCU) conducts technical training on business management “for groups of Soru Na’in and groups of Tais handicraft industry in Bobonaro Municipality.
This training activity is part of the Urgent Safeguarding Plan for Tais 2022-2025, after Timor-Leste has registered its cultural element “Tais, (traditional textiles) on the list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage that needs Urgent Safeguarding. The objective of this training is to increase the capacity of participants to plan the financing of Tais products in the market.
This business management training received maximum participation from the Soru Na’in in the Municipality of Bobonaro. There were 20 participants in this training, 18 women and 2 men. During five days from 23-28 October 2024, participants received basic materials on accounting and business financing plans from the trainees, two from the IADE Business Development Support Institute and one trainee from the National Directorate of Manufacturing Industry, MCI.
In the training for the last day, representatives of the Municipal Authority expressed their appreciation for the initiative of the program carried out by the National Directorate of Manufacturing Industry, MCI, and the Timor-Leste National Commission for UNESCO (TLNCU), which has trained the group Soru Na’in in the area of management, especially for groups that intend to create their own company, strengthen the group structure to develop the Soru network in Bobonaro Municipality, increase the quality and quantity of Tais products, and empower women’s economy in the municipality. Participants also asked the government and international agencies to continue to support this program forward and involve others who have not had the opportunity so that those who are Soru Tais can get all the knowledge to manage them well and its financing plan effectively so as to increase the quantity of Tais products with good quality.
The implementation of this activity was supported by funding from the International Fund for the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO (ICH Fund).