Folding only adds numbers together, so the total never changes. Both strips add up to 61. Your largest target number, 43, must be a stack of several cells added together.
Hint 2: the length budget
The strip has 9 cells and the target has 3, so the folds together must remove 6 cells. A fold removes as many cells as its shorter side has.
Hint 3: the first fold
The first fold goes between cell 4 and cell 5, counting cells from the left.
Full solution
Show every fold
Fold 1 of 3
893598928→141118108
Fold between cell 4 and cell 5. The left side flips over the right side.
Fold 2 of 3
141118108→2518108
Fold between cell 1 and cell 2. The left side flips over the right side.
Fold 3 of 3
2518108→43108
Fold between cell 1 and cell 2. The left side flips over the right side.