The Story of Nekaf Mese
In early 2022, Josh Bowen sent Waterjars an email from his home in Soe, a small city in the mountains of West Timor, Indonesia. He wanted to introduce us to someone he’d been working alongside for years — a woman named Ibu Ay Taniu.
Josh had known Ibu Ay since 2016, when they worked together at a local community foundation. He’d watched her love for the women and children of her community grow quietly and persistently. In 2020, she and two other women did something remarkable: they started their own foundation, “Nekaf Mese.” They wanted to reach the most vulnerable in their villages — children with no access to quality early education, women with no pathway to income or support, and families facing poverty, exploitation, and limited hope.
Josh had been helping Ibu Ay build a strategy and develop Nekaf Mese’s first programs. A small grant from a mission partner had helped purchase a piece of land for a future community building. The preschool had started. Cell groups for women were meeting.
He asked if Waterjars would consider becoming their funding partner for a three-year establishment phase. We said yes.
What We Set Out to Do
In September 2022, Waterjars, Nekaf Mese, and Entrust Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding for a three-year project: “Empowering Women and Children in Noinbila, West Timor.” Waterjars committed to fund the work, channelled through Entrust as the administrative partner.
The plan had three pillars:
- A holistic preschool, giving children the opportunity to grow in character
- Livelihood training, helping women build sustainable income
- A multipurpose community building — a permanent home for all of it
It was a grassroots project in one of Indonesia’s poorest regions, led entirely by local women, grounded in faith, and built to last.
What Happened Next
South-Central Timor is not an easy place to build something. But Ibu Ay and her team got to work.
Nekaf Mese grew from a small startup to an organisation of 12 staff, with partnerships across local government departments, health services, schools, and community organisations.
The land, however, told a different story.
Getting a clear title on the piece of land meant for the multipurpose building turned into a multi-year journey through Indonesian bureaucracy that tested everyone’s faith. The land sat across a village boundary that had shifted due to government changes. The previous owner’s name didn’t match the certificate. The land had plantation status that required forestry clearance before it could be subdivided. Each step took months — sometimes a year.
In June 2025, Ibu Ay wrote to the team to share that the subdivision certificate had finally arrived. Her testimony was full of answered prayers, including the head of the Land Department — just days before his retirement — personally stepping out to meet her and promising to resolve the final step.
“We believe there is God’s plan and we enjoy this long process to get the land title.”
— Ibu Ay Taniu, June 2025
The land is now ready. A 99-year lease between Nekaf Mese and Ibu Ay is being finalised by a notary, and construction funds will be released once it is signed. The building is coming.
Where Things Stand Now
The original three-year MOU ended in May 2025 and has been extended to allow time for the building to be completed. In June 2026, Waterjars met with Entrust to discuss a new three-year partnership for 2026–2029.
The new project is bigger and bolder:
- Three villages: Noinbila, Nunumeu, and Cendana
- 65 preschool children and 124 parents directly supported
- 753 women reached through discipleship, health education, and business training
- A new focus on human trafficking prevention
- Days for Girls kits produced locally by women, generating income and expanding reach
Waterjars has committed AUD $18,000 per year, and Nekaf Mese is moving forward in faith that the rest will come.
Waterjars is proud to be part of this story. And the story is far from over.
For more information about Nekaf Mese and how to support this work, contact the Waterjars team.
