Leonia Lemos: ‘Eating healthy food means leading healthy lives…’

With help from the Knua Centre, Leonia is driven to promote good health and longevity in Timor-Leste

July 2, 2018

Leonia has employed two other people since opening her business

Leonia is a 29-year-old nutrition consultant who recently came back to Dili two and a half years ago after working in London for two years.

In Dili I want to help to promote healthy living and healthy lifestyles. I work mainly with students and women to facilitate better education regarding healthy food…’ says Leonia.

Leonia is aware of the abundance of natural organic food in Timor-Leste. Leonia wants the local population to be more aware and conscious of healthy options, to appreciate the fresh fruit and vegetable markets that are abundant in Timor-Leste.

Organic food is often cheaper when you are buying directly from the supermarket. When people aren’t educated, they will cook with unhealthy ingredients which leads to low productivity, low confidence, weight gain and poor relationships,’ Leonia observes.

Unfortunately, most Timorese families rely on packaged snacks and imported foods. Women do not have adequate nutrition information and tend to encounter burdens, both physically and mentally. Leonia observed that women in Timor-Leste gain weight due to high intakes of sugary and oily foods. These foods do not provide adequate nutrients. Adequate nutrition information and supplies should be available to promote behavioral and lifestyle changes.

Leonia observed these challenges, and now provides nutrition consulting to individuals. The consulting is proposed to enhance education of correct food values and usage. Leonia’s business is multi-faceted. With one aspect focusing on consulting and provision of tailored diet-plans, Leonia outlines healthy meal alternatives and detox’s at her canteen in Balide, Dili.

These are tailored for enabling nutrient-rich weight loss techniques. Another aspect of the business is the production of the juices, detoxes and packages. Her products are sold online, and she takes orders using both Facebook and Instagram. Leonia’s products range from detox creams and detox juices to particular 7-day weight loss food packages. These are now also available in some Supermarkets in Dili.

In Timor-Leste, after having children it is common for women to gain weight. This leads to many women suffering low confidence. Providing accessible healthy food is a way to solve these problems. If women can get their confidence back, then they will foster healthier relationships, with not only themselves, but the people around them too,'  she says.

At the Knua Centre, Leonia attended the ‘business incubation camps’ where she received information about funding and marketing.  Leonia learnt that marketing appropriately will help her to sell more products.

Leonia has benefitted from selling her products at events at Knua, including night market stalls, and also selling her products through the Knua online e-market. Leonia has employed two other people since opening her business. One challenge for Leonia is that some weeks she won’t have adequate funding to produce for the demand or orders. Although these orders may take a longer time to complete, this is a positive thing, meaning she is increasing sales and demand.

The positive thinking required for starting your own business is fostered at the Knua Centre. The youth need support, we need to support our youth constantly, so they are able to put their business plans into motion,’ she says.

At the centre, Leonia’s ability to access appropriate services made her business a reality. Leonia’s business is currently expanding, with many people placing their orders online frequently. With help from the Knua Centre, Leonia is driven to promote good health and longevity in Timor-Leste.