Contributions by the Canadian Red Cross
INDONESIA
It started with a commitment, to build back better in 49 communities in the disaster-prone Indonesian province of Aceh and Nias. These communities were decimated during the December 2004 tsunami and March 2005 earthquake. Adopting an holistic approach, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement embarked on a program that would rebuild not just houses, but villages that are healthier and more resistant to future disasters, include women in the decision-making, and increase the capacity of the Acehnese and Nias to increase their income-earning potential.
Shelter
Through your donations, and matching grants by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Canadian Red Cross has constructed more than 7,800 houses for thousands of families left homeless by the tsunami. This started in 2005 with the construction of 2,222 transitional shelters immediately following the tsunami, and was followed by the building of 5,580 permanent earthquake-resistant houses across Aceh and Nias. Women were a crucial part of the decision-making process during the reconstruction. They became members of housing committees, are legally, co-owners of their houses, and were instrumental in choosing the layout and design of their new homes. Anxious to move into their new shelters, villagers are now personalizing their houses, making them homes. More than 93% of Canadian Red Cross houses are occupied.
Reconstructing in Indonesia was not without its challenges. Canadian Red Cross chose to build in some of the hardest hit areas of Aceh province and Nias. 15 villages in Aceh Jaya had to be relocated to safer ground. Land ownership needed to be proven after documents were destroyed. Given the size of its housing program, the potential impact of construction on the local environment was huge. The Canadian Red Cross ensured its environmental management program complies fully with Indonesian environmental legislation.
This includes:
- Using timber that has not been illegally harvested
- Using environmentally responsible materials
- Minimizing the use of timber in Aceh construction; in Nias, timber for all 2,100 houses has been imported
- Providing each Acehnese house with a “biotec” sanitation system (with its own leach field) to ensure proper disposal of solid waste
Clean water and sanitation
Communities cannot be productive if they are not healthy. To that end, the Canadian Red Cross implemented an Environmental Health program to prevent and reduce the risk of disease caused by exposure to inadequate environmental conditions. This was accomplished through the provision of improved public access to water and sanitation facilities, and the raising of awareness about safe hygiene practices.
Canadian Red Cross staff work in communities, schools and public health clinics, partnering with the International Federation of the Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies, the American Red Cross, and educators across the region.
Since the tsunami, we have constructed permanent public water and sanitation facilities at schools and health clinics in 15 Acehnese villages. This provides villagers with access to toilets and water points that are cleaner and more hygienic than what they had before.
Thousands of students in 26 schools have learned about hygiene including how to properly brush their teeth and wash their hands, and where to dispose of garbage. Their parents have been familiarized with the concept of composting, and primary and secondary waste collection has been introduced in 15 villages.
In northern Nias, more than 30,000 residents are benefiting from improved access to water and sanitation. More than 1,500 permanent toilets have been built in 26 villages. More than 150 rainwater harvesting tanks, and 23 kilometers of pipeline have been installed to provide clean drinking water.
Disaster Risk Reduction
Indonesia is located in what is commonly known as the “Ring of Fire”, a region that is prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity. It made sense for the Canadian Red Cross to embark on a program that would increase the potential of communities to not only reduce their risk of disaster, but to know how to better respond when one occurs. Canadian Red Cross provided the financial and technical know-how to support the Indonesian Red Cross in implementing a Disaster Risk Reduction program.
Its purpose is two-fold. First, it strives to enhance the ability of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) to obtain and disseminate disaster warnings, respond to emergencies, handle security issues and daily communications. It accomplishes this through the training and mobilization of thousands of PMI staff and volunteers. Second, it helps increase the ability of vulnerable communities to respond to, and mitigate the effects of disasters, while improving the capacity of PMI to provide timely assistance to victims.
If an effective early warning system had been in place in 2004, there is little doubt countless lives would have been saved. Since then, Canadian Red Cross, together with the Indonesian Red Cross, has installed 26 Early Warning Systems in communities across Aceh province and northern Nias. Hundreds of volunteers and staff from the Indonesian Red Cross have been trained on communications, and how to properly maintain and operate the radio equipment.
But the Disaster Risk Reduction program goes further than that. It succeeds because it goes to the grass roots level where it enjoys the support and endorsement of those who live and work in our villages. More than 1,200 community members, including students, volunteers and staff from PMI have been trained on how to identify potential dangers, as well as how to plan and prepare for future disasters. 43 Community Based Action Teams have also been created. These teams, consisting of almost 900 members, train their neighbours on disaster risk reduction, and act as focal points when disaster strikes.
Livelihoods
In its effort to build back stronger and more resilient communities, Canadian Red Cross also wanted to help villagers increase their income-earning potential, while maintaining the vibrant Acehnese culture. We actively engaged communities in training, small business development and the construction of physical infrastructure. Community committees were responsible for deciding what projects were important to their particular village. Did they need a retaining wall or an irrigation canal? Would they benefit more from a volleyball court or a refurbished soccer field? Once awarded a grant through the Livelihoods Program, villagers would manage the project, ensuring its completion on time and within budget.
Hundreds of men and women attended various skill-building workshops, receiving training on topics such as logistics and procurement; tailoring; cake making; carpentry; agriculture; and bridal make-up application. We planted fruit trees and made communities safer by constructing access roads, bridges and retaining walls. We built 31 Community/Womens/Children’s centres and enhanced the cultural aspect of many communities through the provision of 27 sets of catering equipment and music and children’s dance costumes.
In Nias, in partnership with ACTED, we trained fishermen how to build better boats and maintain them. Farmers were given guidance on how to get better yields from their vegetable, cacao and rice crops.
Gender Mainstreaming
In all of our programming, our goal was to create an environment that would allow women, men, girls and boys to benefit equally. The Gender Mainstreaming Program does not stand alone, but rather is implemented as a cross-cutting theme. Its purpose is to empower the vulnerable, and ensure everyone has an equal voice.
Women were involved in all stages of shelter reconstruction, including the designing of their houses and the remapping of their villages. With the full support of the local government, workshops were held on Gender and Empowerment, Income Generating Activities, Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS, attracting hundreds of both men and women.
After 5 years, Canadian Red Cross is now leaving Aceh, having assisted in rebuilding stronger and more resilient communities. We could not have done it alone. Your donations contributed immensely, as did the active involvement of the people of Aceh and Nias.
Indonesia Reconstruction Agency commends CRC tsunami program»
