Fundasaun Naroman Foun Fitun Ba Labarik (NAFOFILA) publication CS_TL_Nojia Amajonia de Araujo 250225

Nojia Amajonia de Araujo, an 18-year-old member of the community group “Seed for Future,” participated in the Business Skills Training held from 18 to 20 November 2024, in Leo-Lima, Hato-Udo in Ainaro Municipality, Timor-Leste. The training, facilitated by NAFOFILA, aimed to equip participants with essential business skills, enhance entrepreneurial spirit, and provide a platform for networking among aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners.

 For Nojia, the training on tailoring was an eye-opening experience, giving her practical insights into business management, financial planning, and leadership. She highlighted how the interactive sessions helped her apply theoretical concepts to real-world business challenges.

Ha’u nia esperiénsia jerál iha formasaun kona ba abilidade negósiu nian sai hanesan enrikesimentu no perspetiva tebes. Formasaun ne’e fornese komprensaun komprensivu ida kona-ba konseitu negósiu esensiál sira, inklui merkadoria, finansas, no lideransa.

My overall experience in the business skills training has been highly enriching and insightful. The training provided a comprehensive understanding of essential business concepts, including marketing, f inance, and leadership.”)

She also valued the opportunity to network with other young entrepreneurs and professionals, which gave her a broader perspective on business development and career growth.

Aleinde ne’e, oportunidade atu halo rede ho kolega sira no profisionál sira indústria nian aumenta valór signifikativu, hodi fasilita troka ideia no esperiénsia sira.

 Moreover, the opportunity to network with peers and industry professionals added significant value, facilitating the exchange of ideas and experiences.

 Nojia found the real-world case studies, role-playing exercises, and marketing strategies particularly useful, as they gave her practical tools to apply to her own business ideas. 

Uza elementu interativu sira, hanesan diskusaun grupu, estudu kazu, no ezersísiu sira jogu papél nian, fasilita partisipasaun ativu. Aprosimasaun prátika ida-ne’e ajuda ha’u atu komprende di’ak liután konseitu sira no sira nia aplikasaun prátika.

The use of interactive elements such as group discussions, case studies, and role-playing exercises facilitated active participation. This hands-on approach helped me better understand the concepts and their practical applications.”)

 APPLICATION AND RESULTS

 After the training, Nojia applied her learnings by sharing business management skills with her community group and helping them organize their activities more effectively. 

Ida ne’e sai hanesan valór no rezultadu ne’ebé di’ak mai hau iha formasaun ida ne’e maka hau bele hatene ona oinsá atu organiza grupu ida hodi bele hala’o atividade hotu ho di’ak atu bele fo nia rezultadu pozitivu mai ami hodi bele kria f ila fali atividade/negósiu seluk iha grupu nia laran. 

One of the biggest values and results of this training for me is that I now know how to organize a group to ensure all activities are carried out properly, leading to positive outcomes and allowing us to create new business initiatives within the group.”) By implementing financial planning techniques, she helped the group track income and expenses more effectively, ensuring that profits were reinvested in future business opportunities.

Despite her enthusiasm, Nojia faced challenges in understanding complex financial concepts and business calculations.

Durante formasaun ida ne’e ami ko’alia liu kona-ba negósiu no ida ne’ebé sai hanesan problema no dezafiu boot ida mai hau maka kontajen sira! Tanba iha formula ne’ebé mak barak tebes entaun hau labele kapta hotu.”

During the training, we focused a lot on business, and one of the biggest challenges for me was understanding the financial calculations! There were so many formulas that I couldn’t grasp them all.”) 

Additionally, some participants struggled with literacy, making it difficult for them to fully engage with the written materials.

 Iha parte seluk iha formasaun ida-ne’e partisipante barak mak ladún hatene lee no hakerek ida-ne’e mós sai hanesan barreira ida durante formasaun ida ne’e nia laran.

 Another challenge in this training was that many participants did not know how to read and write, which became a barrier during the sessions.”) To address these issues, she suggested simplifying business concepts and providing follow-up mentoring sessions to ensure that all participants fully understand the materials.

 MOVING FORWARD Nojia committed to sharing what she learned with other young women in her community, ensuring that more people could benefit from the training. 

Hau hanesan membru ida iha grupu ne’e, koñesementu no matéria sira ne’ebé hau simu, f ila ba ami nia grupu sei informa filafali ba sira seluk ne’ebé mak la partisipa iha formasaun ida ne’e.

As a member of this group, the knowledge and materials I received will be shared with others who did not participate in this training.”) She emphasized the importance of continued support and monitoring, particularlyin helping young entrepreneurs sustain their businesses. 

Formasaun ida ne’e di’ak tebes mai hau, hametin tebes nivel konfiansa a’an iha ami nia grupu laran mak iha parte vizaun no misaun nian.

This training was very beneficial for me. It strengthened my confidence in our group, especially in understanding our vision and mission.”)

 The training increased Nojia’s confidence in her ability to run a business and motivated her to continue learning about entrepreneurship. 

Iha formasaun ida ne’e, hau hetan aprendizajen di’ak kona-ba maneira negósiu, motiva tebes hau no ami nia grupu ida ne’e atu hala’o nafatin atividade ne’e ho vontade no kooperasaun ne’ebé di’ak. In this training, I learned valuable business strategies, which motivated me and my group to continue our activities with strong will and cooperation.”)