The Kupang City Health Office in NTT (East Nusa Tenggara) has collaborated with the One Health Collaborating Center (OHCC) of Udayana University, which partners with the International Alliance Against Health Risks in Wildlife Trade Protection Awareness (OHAWE), by signing a Cooperation Agreement (PKS) to publish a children's storybook.

This children's storybook focuses on the theme of wildlife protection and the prevention of animal-sourced diseases (zoonoses), tailored to the local animals and cultural context of East Nusa Tenggara Province.

The animal featured as the main character in the storybook titled "Get Well Soon, Ciko!" is a dog, which is one of the animals that transmits rabies.

The book is the work of Robertus Fahik and is published in a Trilingual format (English, Indonesian, and Kupang language).

"Get Well Soon, Ciko!" was launched by the Deputy Mayor of Kupang, Serena Cosgrova Francis, at the Book Launch and Storytelling event on Thursday, April 10, 2025, at the Gerson Poyk Cultural Park in Kupang.

The book launch was also attended by the Head of the Disease Prevention and Control Division of the Kupang City Health Office, Tiurmasari E. Saragih, S.KM, M.Sc; the Udayana University OHCC Team coordinated by Ni Komang Semara Yanti, S.KM., MPH, as Program Manager; the NTT Regional Coordinator of the OHAWE Project, Adeline Th. Bolla, S.KM, M.ScPH; along with other officials from the Education Office, the Cooperation Section, and the Legal Section of the Kupang City Regional Secretariat, and the Technical Implementation Unit (UPT) of the Gerson Poyk Cultural Park.

The storytelling performance, staged by the children's group Teater Satu Timor, was combined with another agenda: pre- and post-tests to measure the knowledge level of students and parents regarding animal protection and animal-sourced infectious diseases, specifically related to dogs as transmitters of rabies.

This storytelling activity involved representatives of 5th and 6th-grade Elementary School (SD) children: 40 students from SD Negeri Bertingkat Naikoten; 35 students from SDK St. Yoseph I Naikoten II; and 25 parents of elementary school students.

The publication of the book and the storytelling of "Get Well Soon, Ciko!" are expected to serve as an effective educational method for children, helping to develop their imagination, creativity, and social-emotional skills, thereby contributing to the survival of local wildlife in NTT, particularly dogs.

Dogs in NTT are often victims of the animal trade for consumption or sold as food menu items.

Furthermore, this activity is also hoped to raise public awareness and concern for properly and appropriately caring for and protecting pets, to prevent contracting animal-sourced diseases, especially Rabies, which has already reached Timor Island, including Kupang City.

The Deputy Mayor of Kupang, Serena Francis, stated that Kupang City, in its diversity, certainly faces its own challenges, such as the wildlife trade and consumption, particularly the consumption of dogs.

Therefore, it is important for the community and children to understand the dangers and negative impacts of interacting with such wildlife.

"Rabies can be transmitted through saliva and bites from animals like dogs and cats. Therefore, caution must be exercised when interacting with them and when consuming meat safely," explained Serena.

Furthermore, through this activity, Serena asked the students to become agents at their schools who can provide understanding to their peers and the wider community about the dangers of disease transmission from wildlife.

"You can read the books at your respective schools. After that, you can tell the stories to your friends, parents, and neighbors to help reduce the transmission of rabies and the consumption of dog meat," she urged.