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One Year Later, People Getting Back to Business in Post-Tsunami Indonesia and 'Building Back Better,' Says Church World Service
Zakaria, 45, is involved in CWS's shelter and livelihood-recovery program, which has provided him with a boat to return to work. Zakaria's house and all his possessions were swept away in the tsunami.
Photo: Jannerson Girsang, ACT International
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BANDA ACEH--Nearly one year after last December's deadly tsunami and March's earthquake, the people of Indonesia's Aceh province and Nias Island are beginning to rebuild and recreate lives and livelihoods--with an emphasis on building for a better future, reports global humanitarian agency Church World Service.
Groups of livestock farmers in Aceh are starting new livestock breeding businesses or restarting old ones with new stocks of pigs, chickens and vaccination supplies from Church World Service. But they're also building on a firmer foundation, through Church World Service programs in which breeders are now learning more about animal husbandry and key sanitation procedures--in a region concerned about avian flu.
In Sibreh Keumudee, in Aceh province, a furniture business group, back in business with new machines and tools provided by Church World Service, is fulfilling its first order of window frames.
In order to increase local incomes, in its current homes reconstruction program Church World Service's Aceh team is engaging local carpenters to build windows and doors, and local people and future owners are working on construction of the new houses.
"It is easy to build houses if you're not considering the local participation. We could just let contractors build. But I worry if we do so, the continuation and sense of belonging will be different," said Indra Rerungan, Church World Service's technical shelter officer stationed in Banda Aceh.
On Nias Island, where a March '05 earthquake killed scores of people and further complicated tsunami recovery efforts, farming has resumed. In Gunung Sitoli, one farming group has begun cultivation of vegetable crops including spinach, string beans, other legumes and red peppers. In Mandrehe sub-district, another farming cooperative of 20 people has gotten underway, with support from Church World Service.
But post-tsunami, sustainable agriculture is key for the future. Church World Service has held two-day training programs for area farming groups on vegetable planting techniques, use of organic fertilizer, and organic pesticide production.
"The tsunami tragedy has made us start from scratch in many ways," says Church World Service Indonesia director Maurice Bloem, "so we're using the opportunity to help people recreate their lives and livelihoods in a more productive and environmentally and economically sustainable way."
The farming program, Bloem says, was conducted in coordination with a local vocational school of agriculture. The program also provided participating farming groups with legumes, red chili and spinach seeds, and tools such as hoes, grinding stones, buckets, shovels, and sprayers.
Bloem says farming cooperatives that took the training quickly prepared land for planting.
A ten-person group in Gunung Sitoli has started a home gardening cooperative.
With so many fishing boats lost to the tsunami, a return to productive fishing is fundamental to recovery. And that is happening, says Bloem.
"We are collaborating with a local non-governmental organization in Deah Raya, in Syiah Kuala sub-district of Banda Aceh, Lingkungan Hidup (environment and sustainable living). Together, we're implementing a one-year livelihood recovery program that will bring 20 fishing boats to 40 fishermen in the district--allowing them to return their trade."
Like others still displaced and living in tents or settlement barracks, Aceh fishermen who lost homes and boats in the tsunami have been longing to return and to have their own homes again.
In Pidie district, Ramli is realizing that dream. After he and his family had lived in a settlement of barracks and tents for several months, Ramli and his family are now in a new, 36-square meter house with his family--a result of the shelter and livelihood recovery program run by Church World Service and its partners, members of the Action by Churches Together coalition.
The fisherman told Church World Service that once again, after losing his home and boat to the tsunami, "I now get fish enough for our daily needs and installment payments."
The shelter and livelihood program also provided a boat for another fisherman, Zakaria, so Zakaria could return to work. "If we go to sea for several hours, we can catch fish," says Zakaria, "and in the afternoon we can go to the field or conduct other activities for additional income."
"The boat helps my family," he says, "and I have now more choices to earn money." Zakaria also transports people to market on his motorcycle and works as a volunteer in the Church World Service program to build his new house.
"I myself participated in interior design and also construction supervision," he said. "I am satisfied with my house-to-be"
In its livelihood program, CWS cooperates with PASKA, a local foundation. Fishermen who receive a boat also participate in a community-based revolving loan system as a token of social accountability to the community.
"Every time when the earnings of a fisherman are more than Rp 50,000 [US$5], he should contribute 15 percent of the excess earnings to this community-based revolving fund system, compiled by chosen members of the community," explains Evy Kaban, livelihood-recovery program coordinator in Banda Aceh for Church World Service and ACT. "The money collected from all fishermen will be used as a revolving fund to those who haven’t had earnings yet. They can use the money as seed capital for small enterprises."
Some 170,000 people were killed or are still missing and feared dead in Aceh province and surrounding areas after a December 2004 earthquake produced the most devastating tsunami on record. In Indonesia, Aceh suffered most from the catastrophe. Nias Island off Sumatra, also damaged, was hit hard again by another earthquake just three months later.
Most of Aceh's infrastructure was destroyed by the tsunami, with about 120,000 houses and hundreds of kilometers of roadways ruined.
A sure sign of life returning to normal: Church World Service is announcing plans to construct ten village halls in Aceh's Lhoong sub-district. That is very significant in a culture where life still revolves around these essential, traditional community hubs. The agency, which has had a presence in Indonesia since the 1960s and a local staff of more than 100 persons, is coordinating the village halls project with village heads and other local stakeholders and is recruiting local workers for the construction.
With focus on long-term construction, Church World Service continues to appeal for donations for post-tsunami recovery in Indonesia. Contributions may be sent to:
Church World Service
Tsunami Recovery (Acct. #6970)
P.O. Box 968
Elkhart, IN 46515
Contributions may be made by credit card online, or by calling: (800) 297-1516.
Media Contact:
Lesley Crosson, CWS/New York, 212-870-2676;
Jan Dragin, 781-925-1526;
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