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From the survivors to the survivors
There is clear evidence of the international
community's concern for the people of Aceh and North Sumatra.
So much solidarity and sympathy will give us at least some
hope and renewed spirit to keep on struggling, to hang on
to life and to give our best with all the strength that we
still have left in us. But how and where to start when we
are still preoccupied with thoughts of finding our loved ones
still alive somewhere, mixed with the unbelief that our loved
ones and property have been taken away from us in the blink
of an eyelid?
The biggest challenge now is to make the international
community understand who are the victims of the earthquake
and the tsunami. All aid pouring in is directed towards the
refugee camps. This is understandable because these people
currently have the greatest need. However, we should also
consider those survivors who have fled to their surviving
families or friends or villages in and outside of Aceh. Before
the catastrophe many of the victims in towns came from the
nearby rural areas. It is a trait of our culture that in time
of dire need we rely on the family. The family is a cultural
and strong institution here, and descendents from three generations
away are still considered immediate family. Rarely will an
Acehnese seek help outside this closely-knit institution.
Assistance and solace of their extended family is the first
thing they need and seek to overcome the trauma of their losses.
Hence many surviving family homes in the surrounding neighborhood
or villages becoming unofficial refugee places for those relatives
who have lost their house and belongings. They will face great
challenges in reorganizing their lives.
Forgotten victims
As an Acehnese and having witnessed all this first hand in
the aftermath of the disaster, I ask, would it not be fairer
to spare a thought and resources for those groups of victims
who fled to close friends and families or back to their villages?
Maybe by assisting and mobilizing these people, the reconstruction
can truly begin as they can stand up again and rebuild their
families and their home environment. These groups of survivors
can become actively involved in the post-disaster efforts,
and become local catalysts for reconstruction. They can motivate
others to take an active role in rebuilding their lives and
not just become passive victims waiting for a charitable handout.
Why? Because these groups of refugees at least
have a relatively comfortable place to sleep, they have access
to sanitation, basic food and water and most important they
have family support. And so they are better equipped to act
calmly and rationally, although grieving. However, if these
groups are neglected, how long can the hosting families endure
the added burden? A food distribution command post will not
give them priority because they cannot say from which official
refugee camp they come from so they will not receive any help.
Yet our observations indicate that these people are maybe
more numerous that those in the camps.
Involving the survivors actively
to take charge of their lives
We can mobilize these groups of survivors in an effort to
reorganize their lives again. This is the case of the family-based
based assistance program our group is setting up now; an activation
program based in villages where refugees have fled and where
a basic infrastructure and sufficient sanitation still exist.
These groups of refugees, when given the right help and leadership,
together with the aid provided by institutions or other humanitarian
organizations, may revive rapidly and become the motors of
the reconstruction.
What is needed now is to hear them out, allow
them to grieve, show empathy and together with them identify
their own needs. Then, provide activities to divert their
attention from distressing thoughts, and help them to seek
work (economic revival) from all the aid directed to Aceh.
We must prevent the survivors of the earthquake and tsunami
to become victims a second time when the euphoria of assistance
and humanitarian solidarity will peter out. If during this
period we remain the passive recipients of billions of dollars
of humanitarian aid, our self-recovery process will remain
hampered. Many people here have skills and higher education
and they should be utilized for the reconstruction effort.
History has taught us that our culture has made us strong
and enduring while seeking solutions for our survival. These
characteristics of faith, culture and resilience will be our
basic capital for reconstructing our future. Thank you world.
Azwar Hasan,
le 30 janvier 2005
Coordonateur de l'ONG Bangun Aceh
Partenaire local de Solidarité Indonésie
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