Aceh Journal: Tsunami Anniversary

So a year has passed ...
and tsunami in aceh has celebrated its 1st birthday.

I bet you all have seen in TVs about Aceh and other tsunami affected areas all around the world, but let me just give you a little more from my point of view, and from what I saw here in Aceh this past year.

January-June was the emergency phase.
NGOs came to Aceh to make assessment on what they could do to help, and began setting up their presence here.
The first 3 months were pretty tough! People were still suffering from the loss of their family and friends, and ofcourse their belongings.
People came from all over the world to see what kind of mess has the tsunami caused, and to volunteer in the humanitarian works.
NGOs distributes foods, tents, etc. Media encouraged the whole nation to pray for Acehnese people, to grief with them, and to give their money for the tsunami victims.
That's basically what happened in the first 6 months post-tsunami.
Believe it or not, I think that's what happened in all the countries that were affected ny the tsunami.

Then came the recovery phase ...
THis time it's a little bit better cuz we were finally able to see houses being built (they still are, actually! :p)
Problem: NGOs couldn't build the houses without government's approval. It's said that to rebuild Aceh, we need to have a blueprint. Now what made it so late for us NGOs to build houses is that there are several different arguments about the land certificate, about where NGOs should build the new houses, etc.
So, from tens of thousands houses that need to built (around 60 or 70 thousands if I'm not mistaken), we have managed to build only around ten thousand houses right now.

What about livelihoods?
That's one strong point in the rehab n reconstruction of Aceh if I may say!
Almost all NGOs have a livelihood dept., and I think they are pretty successful in doing their job.
One success story was the rice field in Meulaboh, where Mercy Corps gave the funding.
Only 8 months after tsunami did the farmers managed to have a rice harvest although experts said that the soil can't produce anything for at least a year.

In August we also reached a Peace Agreement between Republic of Indonesia and GAM. So no more GAM now! :) Things are starting to get better day by day. Thank God for the earthquake and the tsunami, because some people believed that those two things enabled the peace agreement to happen. AMM (Aceh Monitoring Mission, if I'm not mistaken) came in September, and I think they are doing their job well! :)

So how is Aceh after a semester of emergency phase and a semester of recovery phase?
Let's see ... people are still living in tents and TLCs (=barracks). Some of them are still jobless, although with the NGOs coming they get even bigger chance to make good money. Houses are built, although only 10% of total need.
BRR (Rehab n Reconstruction Board) was accused of being indifferent to people's suffering due to salary problem (some said that it's too big)
Overall, the recovery phase is going just fine. People are starting to put behind them what happened a year ago, without actually forgetting it.

Thanks to the trauma counsellors and all the people who were here in the first months of tsunami!

I managed to get some pictures of tsunami commemoration in Ulee Lheu. I have also uploaded pictures of my Aceh trip in February and March in my flickr. So you're all very much welcome to see :)

I will try to upload some Xmas in Aceh pictures too ... soon! :)

Speaking of XMas, there was no smell of xmas here! Not a thing in town showed anything related to XMas. Well, in church ofcourse, yea!, but not in other places. No XMas banners, no nothing!
Not even in the malls! (hehe ... ofcourse! There's no mall here! :p)

But anyway, Christmas was okay. We had Xmas celebrations and Christmas services here, and I think that was enough. I mean, it's not the celebrations that's important, right? It's your heart! People nowadays have actually too caught up in big merry Xmas celebration that they forget the real meaning of Christmas itself.
This year's Christmas was actually my 1st in 6 years that I sat down and do nothing but tried to listen to the sermon. Back then in Bandung ... well, let's just say I was involved in a different kind of service :p

Other news ...
Kei has recovered well from her surgery. My sister said that she acts as if she was never in the surgery room! That's great! :) Once again, thanks to all of you, for praying for her.
My uncle has passed away on Dec. 10, 2005. I went home for a week, to be present in the funeral. And ofcourse to hang out with my family and friends! :)
It was so good that I felt like a newly recharged cell phone battery.
Being able to have a short taste of civilization, being able to play with my family and friends, and being able to rest my mind from all this ... I think! :)
Am still going to go home again next January, as planned.
But last time was a very good holiday! :)
I was just sorry I wasn't able to meet my uncle for the last time. I thought if he could hang on until Jan, then we could meet. But my way is not His way ... :)

hmm ... can't remember what else I have to write ...
So for the mean time ... be merry everyone! Cuz' the new year is waiting!

Have yourself a happy and joyful new year!
May the love of God be with you and your family, and may you be a blessing for the people around you in the next years!


Mizz you all!
hye

December 27, 2005

photos: www.flickr.com/photos/hye
blog: hyemania.blogspot.com