The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) partnering with NaTerra and the community inaugurated a Permaculture center in Atecru on Atauro Island. The opening ceremony of the center was held on 11 April 2019, starting with a warm welcoming from members of the community. The Minister of MAF, the Ambassador of India, the FAO Representative and the NaTerra Director were present for the event. After three years of hard work, the Permaculture Learning Center in Atecru, located in the north west coast of the island, became a reality for the community.

The Sub-District Administrator of Atauro on behalf of the local community expressed gratitude and thanked the governments of India, Brazil and South Africa for the financial support given to allow for the establishment of the center and said ‘the project is a blessing to Atauro community’. He appreciated that the center’s all-inclusive facilities can serve multiple purposes for learning and research and that the eco-friendly lodge will attract visitors to Atecru and help stimulate the local economy.

His Excellency Joaquim Jose Gusmão dos Reis Martins, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, inaugurated the center and praised the work achieved. He said ‘this project has been impressive and it had not been easy, the work had been done well’.  He assured his continuous support to the community and expressed his desire to see the permaculture center utilized for the benefit of the community of Atecru, as well as becoming a model for other municipalities to learn from.

Stephen Rudgard, FAO Representative, showed his appreciation to the community and said that the ‘Permaculture is embracing all of the values that FAO is putting forward around the world. Permaculture is about sustainability and harmony with the environment, and it allows people to interact with that environment in a productive and useful way’. The Ambassador of India, H.E. Pradeep Kumar Rawat, showed his appreciation for this project and complimented the Government, FAO and NaTerra. He said ‘this project will make an appreciable difference to the life of the community and it will also make a small contribution to a problem that the world is facing today of how to preserve our environment’.

The Minister, the Indian Ambassador, FAO Representative as well as other guests were offered a guided tour around the permaculture site. The event was followed by a community gathering for a boat race and a fish catching competition along with traditional games which are the main tourism attractions to Atecru.