Timika – Efforts to empower Papuan women through the development of local food continue to be strengthened. As many as 40 Kamoro mothers from eight coastal villages in Mimika Regency participated in a local food processing training organized by the Timika Diocese through the Maria Bintang Laut Cooperative, with the support of PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI).
The activity that took place at Rumah Sagu, Timika Diocese Complex, Central Papua, on June 19–20, 2026 aimed to improve the community’s skills in processing local food into products with nutritional value as well as having economic value.
The Mimika Regency Government welcomes the implementation of the training because it is considered in line with the efforts to increase the capacity of Papuan women in supporting family food security and strengthening the community economy based on local potential.
Head of the Women’s Empowerment, Child Protection, Population Control and Family Planning (DP3AP2KB) Mimika Regency, Yohana Arwam, said that this training is an important opportunity for participants to develop skills that can be applied in daily life or as a business opportunity.
“Take advantage of this good opportunity to improve the skills of processing nutritious food from local ingredients that are easy to obtain. Training like this becomes a concrete step in improving skills as well as opening up business opportunities based on local potential,” said Yohana.
According to him, the utilization of local food resources not only supports the fulfillment of the family’s nutritional needs, but can also be a new source of income for the community if managed creatively and sustainably.
The training presents various materials regarding local food processing techniques, product quality improvement, to the development of businesses based on processed food products that can be marketed to the general public.
Meanwhile, Senior Vice President (SVP) Sustainable Development of PT Freeport Indonesia, Nathan Kum, explained that the company’s support for these activities is part of a sustainable commitment in encouraging community development through the utilization of local potential.
“This training is a form of the company’s sustainable commitment in supporting the utilization and development of local food that has nutritional value as well as economic value for the community,” he said.
He hopes that the skills acquired by the participants during the training can be a provision to improve the welfare of the family and strengthen the economic independence of the coastal community in Mimika.
Through collaboration between Timika Diocese, Mimika Regency Government, and PT Freeport Indonesia, this training is expected to be able to produce more local business actors based on traditional Papuan food, as well as maintaining the sustainability of the utilization of natural resources owned by the local community.
The program is also part of the effort to encourage Papuan women to be more empowered, productive, and able to play an active role in regional economic development through the utilization of local potential available in their environment.
