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Indonesia: A New House--A Place to Call Home and be a Family Again
Nur Afika, 33, with her daughters 7-month-old Falepi and Ainun, 7, in front of their new home in the Pidie district of Aceh province, built with the assistance of Church World Service. The family moved in in February.
Photo: Abdi R. Tarigan/ACT
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By Abdi R. Tarigan, ACT International
Pidie, Aceh, Indonesia--In April, I had the chance to visit the sub-village of Lampu Kawat to see how it had progressed in its recovery since the December 2004 tsunami. As I passed a house, a woman greeted me from the front door. "Good morning," she said, smiling. "Good morning," I replied. Offering her hospitality, she invited me into her new house. Carrying her newborn baby, she followed me inside.
Two questions came to my mind: Was this house built by ACT through one of its members working in Indonesia, Church World Service (CWS), and is she the owner? I entered the house and looked around - half-brick and half-wooden with two bedrooms, a living room, a small kitchen and a bathroom.
Seeing this new house compelled me to record the story of this woman, as someone who had survived the tsunami and who is a resident of this village.
"My name is Nur Afika, and this is my youngest baby, Falepi," referring to the six-month-old child in her arms. "We have been living in this house since February. We really enjoy living here. We feel at home again. And I can take good care of my youngest baby," she told me.
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| A carpenter building homes in a CWS-sponsored housing and livelihood recovery project in Aceh province, Indonesia. Photo: Chris Herlinger/CWS |
"Now, everything has changed because we are not living in the emergency tents anymore. I am living with my four children. This is my second daughter, Ainun, 7 years old," she continued.
Ainun appeared bashful in my presence and suddenly ran into her bedroom. I moved with Nur into the kitchen, where I met a woman I assumed to be her mother. "Is she your mother?" I asked. "No, she is not my mother. She is my aunt," Nur replied, after which the older woman introduced herself as Fitriah.
"Visiting among the relatives is one of our customs in Aceh. I am happy to see my niece back to a normal life in this village, and I like to see my 'grandson,' Falepi," said Fitriah, 51 years old, who lives one kilometer away in Cot Leu Rheng village.
Nur continued, "There are seven of us living in this house. My husband, my son, Andi (15), Ainun (7), Intan (4), and the youngest, Falepi. But this week, my aunt stayed in my house."
Nur and her husband, Muhammad Nasir, both 33 years old, have finally returned to their home village after living in tents for a year.
"My first wooden house was swept away by the tsunami on 26 December 2004. The disaster had also destroyed 28 other houses situated at the distance of only 100 meters from the Malaka straits," she said.
When the tsunami wave hit land, she and her husband, along with their three children, ran to Meulasah Mei village two kilometers away. Luckily, the whole family survived. But they lost everything and had to live in emergency shelters, depending solely on assistance from humanitarian-aid organizations.
Living in a tent, according to Nur, came with challenges, such as when she had to give birth to her youngest child in the tent and protect him from the weather.
"What really worried me most is that I was pregnant at that time. I was afraid that there would be health problems with Falepi," she recalled.
Falepi was born in November 2005 in a 4-by-5 meter tent. A midwife from Cut Leuring village helped her deliver the baby.
"Thank God, when Falepi was born, he was healthy. But for several months, I was really worried because in the wet season, the rain seeped into the tents. At that time, I always protected my four children, especially this youngest one. I didn't want him to get sick. I always keep him warm with a blanket distributed by CWS," she said.
Living in a tent, Nur said, they had to cope with different weather conditions. Sometimes it was very hot, especially in the daytime, and it was very cold at night.
She said there were times that she did not sleep well. Although her family received mosquito nets from CWS-ACT, the mosquitoes disturbed her.
"Such experiences made our desire to return to our village and home become stronger. We shared the experience with our neighbors. In our daily discussions, we made a deal that we wanted to return to our original village," Nur explained. Her husband had the same plan. He said their village had access to many resources - from the sea, ponds, and in raising animals and crops - so he could earn money easily. Another reason they wanted to return home was the custom of gathering with neighbors and family, particularly on Idul Fitri day (a Muslim holiday).
"Life was not so difficult at Lampu Kawat before the tsunami. I can return to work [now]. I used to be a fisherman. I can go to sea, catch fish and can earn money for my family. We were bored staying in a barrack. We wanted to start life normally," said Muhammad.
After talking to their neighbors, the couple conveyed their wishes to return to their home village to CWS-ACT, which had earlier distributed relief items in the area. CWS-ACT accepted their request and in August began holding discussions with the residents of Lampu Kawat about reconstructing houses.
Julfan, a CWS shelter officer, explained that Nur and Muhammad followed the house construction agreement and provided a small plot of land and helped the builders, which enabled them to finish their house early.
During the house's reconstruction, Muhammad returned to work. He is one of 36 fishermen who received boats from the CWS-ACT livelihood program. When bad weather prevented him from fishing, he helped the carpenters on his house.
"My house was built by two carpenters. I helped them to carry some materials and also to dig a hole for septic tank. My wife sometimes provided tea or coffee for the carpenters. We wanted our house finished earlier," said Muhammad.
He is able to support his family again by going fishing. "The boat really helps me to earn money. I share the boat with my neighbor, Adi (22). We go to catch fish at 4 a.m. in the morning. We usually return at 10.00 a.m. In the afternoon, we go to market to sell the fish," he explained.
"On the first of February, our house was completely finished," said Nur, proudly.
Founded in 1946, Church World Service has been working in Indonesia since 1964 to meet the needs of the most vulnerable through relief and development strategies that empower people's organizations and local communities. A member of ACT International, Church World Service is an implementing partner in ongoing recovery from the December 2004 tsunami.
Contributions to support CWS Tsunami Recovery efforts can be sent to:
Church World Service
Tsunami Recovery
P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515.
Contributions can also be made online or by calling 800.297.1516, ext. 222.
Media Contact:
Lesley Crosson, CWS/New York, 212-870-2676;
Jan Dragin, 781-925-1526;
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