The Worth of Your Qurban for Atiahu’s Fisherman’s Village

Human Initiative – In the late afternoon of Eid al-Adha, a visitor will knock on your door and deliver a package of Qurban meat. The people of Atiahu Village in Siwalalat District, East Seram District, Maluku Province are eagerly anticipating this. Will your Qurban bring benefits to this Fisherman’s Village?

Atiahu village is among the special category of converted villages. Surprisingly, it is challenging to find information about the beauty of this village located on the southeastern coast of Seram Island, even on popular search engines like Google. In fact, as of 2023, Google Maps has not yet established a route from the capital city of Ambon to Atiahu Village. This implies that Atiahu Village remains a hidden paradise up until now.

Human Initiative, represented by the Maluku Branch, embarked on a journey from the capital city of Ambon to explore the beauty of Atiahu Village. Engaging in the humanitarian mission of Spread the Qurban, volunteers from Human Initiative discovered the humility of the villagers residing near the mouth of the Teluti Bay river.

A Remarkable Journey

Muhammad Jabal Nur, the Head of Human Initiative Maluku, shared the story of his arduous journey from the capital city of Ambon to Atiahu Village. He traveled from Tulehu Harbor to Seram Island, enduring a four-hour journey. Furthermore, there was an additional five-hour road trip from the pier on Seram Island to Eastern Seram.

Unfortunately, the challenges did not only involve long routes through forests and uneven roads found in rural areas. During their extraordinary journey, Jabal and his team traversed conflict zones and had to prove that they were not affiliated with any particular group.

“We vividly remember having to pass through a forest that was also a conflict area. We had to show our resident cards (KTP) to proceed to East Seram,” said Jabal.

A Diet of Fish Every Day, Rarely Beef

The tiresome and tense land-sea-land trip paid off. The picturesque beauty of Atiahu Village along the coast, coupled with the villagers’ dedication to fishing and gardening, left the visitors in awe. The simplicity of their lives ensures they do not suffer from food shortages since seafood and locally grown produce form their staple diet.

As it is the middle of the year with the east wind causing high tides, the fishermen temporarily halt their sailing activities and shift their focus to gardening or producing copra (dried coconut meat). To ensure a continuous supply of seafood until the year’s end, the villagers dry their catch under the sun and store it.

Despite having an abundance of food, the people of Atiahu rarely have the opportunity to consume goat, lamb, or beef. Due to their limited income and the high cost of meat, these options are beyond their economic means.

Spread the Blessings of Your Qurban to Atiahu Village

Did you know, Dear Initiators, that a study conducted by Headey et al. (2018) established a strong correlation between stunting in children aged 6-23 months and the consumption of animal-based foods? This research also highlights the benefits of consuming diverse animal proteins for overall human health.

The people of Atiahu Village are fortunate to have access to seafood from their fishing activities. However, those residing in the 3T (underdeveloped, outermost, frontier) regions rarely have the chance to savor the delectable taste of beef. Celebrating Eid al-Adha by enjoying delicious beef not only adds variety to their protein intake but also brings special joy on this auspicious day.

Through the ‘Spread the Qurban’ program, Human Initiative invites everyone to extend the benefits of Qurban to the 3T areas in Indonesia and beyond, including Atiahu Village in East Seram. At least once a year, during Eid al-Adha, individuals can join hands with the Human Initiative to distribute flavorful meat to areas that would otherwise be overlooked.

“With the grace of God, the Human Initiative, through the Maluku Branch, aims to bring the benefits of Qurban to 700 to 1,000 families. These benefits will reach various sub-districts, such as East Seram, West Seram, Central Maluku, and Ambon,” said Jabal.

For those of you who are performing Qurban for the first time, make the occasion even more memorable by sharing the delicious meat with your distant relatives. Together with the Human Initiative, let’s make your first Qurban, your second Qurban, and countless more through Solusipeduli.org.