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Dateline ACT

Indonesia 0606

'We are working for our future now'

By Abdi R. Tarigan, ACT International

Meulaboh, Indonesia, July 3, 2006--Despite the early hour, a barrack housing internally displaced people (IDPs) in Reusak village, 20 kilometers from Meulaboh, the capital of Indonesia’s West Aceh Regency, was full of activity on a recent morning. Sudami and Ida, two members of a family from Aceh who survived the tsunami, have returned to their previous jobs. In the earthquake and ensuing tsunami on December 26, 2004, their two children were killed, all their possessions were destroyed, and their jobs were lost.

In March, Sudiman, 40, returned to work as a fish vendor. His wife, Ida, 27, resumed her embroidery activities the month before. They were able to return to their work with assistance from the livelihood-recovery program of Yayasan Tanggul Bencana Indonesia (YTBI), a member of the global alliance Action by Churches Together (ACT) International in Indonesia.

“We are working for our future now. I got back my job as a fish vendor, and my wife returned to work as an embroiderer since YTBI provided us with the capital to start our jobs,” said Sudami on the cool morning at the barracks, which still houses 80 IPDs.

Sudiman usually rises early, taking his fish bucket with him on his motorcycle to Meulaboh, where he buys fish to re-sell.

“I make money by selling fish in Samatiga sub-district. I go in the morning and return in the afternoon. I get some profit to fulfill our daily needs. My wife also helps our household financially by producing embroidered goods. When she sells them, she also receives some money,” explained Sudiman.

“I can finish one embroidery product, like an umbrella, in one week. YTBI helps us to sell it to Banda Aceh. The price is 300,000 Rupiah [US$33]. This is enough to fulfill our needs for one week. Besides getting some money, selling also helps me not to linger on too long on the loss of my two children,” said Ida while displaying her handiwork.

From YTBI’s livelihood program, Ida also received a sewing machine and other equipment and supplies for her embroidery work. Ida said she enjoys embroidery, which she can do with other women living in the barracks. During their work, the women socialize and can share their ups and downs.

When the tsunami hit Suak Semasih, their hometown, Ida and Sudiman tried to escape to Suak Debang village. But they – along with their motorcycle – were swept up in the waves, which traveled as far as five kilometers inland.

Although their children were killed in the tsunami, the two of them managed to survive the disaster, after which they were evacuated to Reusak village, eight kilometers from Suak Semasih village. They stayed there in barracks because they were afraid of another tsunami.

At the barracks, Ida received medical treatment from some NGOs, particularly from YAKKUM Emergency Unit (YEU), another ACT member in Indonesia. Staff from a YEU mobile clinic visited her regularly for three months until she regained her health.

Although they were receiving sufficient food and medicine, Ida and Sudiman were yearning to return to work and did not want depend on assistance from NGOs. They wanted to be self-determined and earn their own money again.

“After recovering from my illness, I was very eager to do my job. We often met YTBI staff since they distributed food and clothes in our barrack. In February, we conveyed our aspiration to create an embroidery group with them. We got a positive response from YTBI staff. They helped us form a group,” said Ida, who is now pregnant.

Sudiman was equally eager to return to work. His spirit to get back to his jobs grew even stronger when he found his motorcycle, which had been swept away in the tsunami.

“My wish to work got stronger after I found my motorcycle in a paddy field five kilometers from Suak Semasih village. It was still complete, though the engine was totally damaged. So I was able to repair it and use it to sell the fish,” said Sudami.

Sudami had depended on his motorcycle for his work, and he believes that finding it was a sign to him to return to work. But he did not have the capital to restart his business.

He discussed his situation with some friends in the barracks who also had a desire to return to work. So they approached Qalbi, YTBI’s field officer in Meulaboh. They agreed to form a group of fish vendors with Sudami as the leader. They named their group “Bacut-bacut,” which means “little by little.”
“We have 14 members. Each of us received 2 million Rupiah [US$220] from YTBI. We used that money to start our earnings. We divided the area for selling fish. Some of my friends even go to Calang, the capital city of Aceh Jaya Regency. So there is no competition among us,” explained Sudami.

After running this business for three months, Sudami has saved some his earnings in a local bank because he and Ida plan to go back to their home village. All together, the group is able to save 160,000 Rupiah (US$17) per month. Other group members also save their money in a local bank and use it to develop their business.

Before they return to their home village, Sudiman and Ida have two considerations.

“I am still waiting for my wife to bear our child here. It is difficult to get a doctor or midwife in our village. It’s easier to get medical service here because YEU regularly visits and gives us free medical treatment in our barrack,” said Sudiman. When the baby is born, the couple will also have a newly completed house, which is under construction now by another relief agency.

In the past 18 months, the family has experienced so much. But little by little, they are putting the parts of their lives back together and working toward their future.

See these other feature articles (and, in some cases, videos) showing how ACT members are assisting tsunami survivors in returning to work: