The Christian Children’s Fund in East Nusa Tenggara province, together with a coastal parish and local authorities, has sought to boost the future prospects of young girls by teaching them to process fish.

By providing skills training the fund hopes many young girls will be able to choose a better future instead of resigning themselves to marrying while they are barely still children.

Twenty girls aged 16-20 years old from Virgin Mary Stella Maris Parish in Atapupu took part in the November 15-16 skills training course in the nearby village of Dualaus.

The young girls, who were all from fishing families, learned how to process tuna and yellowtail fish into abon, shredded meat that has been boiled and fried.

“The aim of the project is to allow young girls living in this coastal area to become more independent since many of them were married at a young age. We want to boost their creativity so that they can earn money and encourage the single girls to think more about their future, instead of rushing into marriage,” said Carlus Tae, the fund’s coordinator.

According to the parish officials, about 30-40 young girls get married every year. Premarital pregnancy is the main reason.

One of the participants, Natalia Irene Cardoso, said it is important to many young women that they can have a choice.

“The course also encourages us to be more creative and to make better use of local natural resources,” she added.

The 18-year-old girl acknowledged that she and her friends should not jump into marriage yet.

“Many girls my age get married … they often argue with their husbands and end up very unhappy or divorced,” she added.

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