They
come from all walks of life, young and old alike, women and
men – all brought together by one strong desire: to help
ease human suffering, to save lives, to improve lives.
They are the volunteers of the Indonesian Red Cross (Palang-Merah
Indonesia – PMI) in the Indonesian province of Aceh –unsung
heroes like Athinas and Suherman, whose unwavering courage and
commitment would be tested and proven by the mighty tsunami
of December 2004.
Eighteen-year old Suherman was one of only a few hundred to
survive when the tsunami smashed the Aceh sub-district of Calang.
He says that his experience in the aftermath of the tsunami
and the unspeakable devastation he witnessed prompted him to
join PMI.
“Retrieving hundreds of bodies was like picking up dried
leaves on the beach. It was horrible,” he recalls, still
visibly affected by the experience. “The whole of Calang
was virtually turned into a ghost town.”
“We could not even locate our village,” adds Suherman,
who, like many survivors, scampered to the hills with his family
following the tsunami and stayed there for two weeks.
Suherman says he was touched when he learned that most of the
PMI volunteers who were retrieving bodies, treating the injured
and providing relief assistance had themselves lost members
of their families.
Yet, despite their own suffering, they could still manage to
help – working without let up, completely unmindful of
their own sorrows. “That really hit me here,” he
says, patting his chest. “Before I knew it, I had become
one of them.”
Suherman is one of the more than 600 dedicated volunteers who
have been presented with certificates of appreciation by PMI
and the International Federation for their hard work and dedication
during the post-tsunami relief operation.
“This is something I will really treasure,” he says,
staring proudly at his certificate. “This will be a reminder
of the smiling faces of our beneficiaries who have kept our
spirit high throughout the operation. I will certainly continue
to be a volunteer of the Red Cross, with or without disaster.
Athinas, a member of PMI’s specially trained volunteer
group (known as SATGANA) since 1999, is another proud recipient
of a Red Cross certificate of appreciation. When the wave hit
Aceh she was among the first to mobilize; organizing people
to help retrieve bodies, assisting the injured and providing
relief aid to those affected.
But her experiences at the frontline of humanitarian action
in Aceh predate the aftermath of the tsunami. In 2003 Athinas,
a nurse and a widowed mother of two, was arrested and jailed
for three months for treating a person wounded during the long-running
conflict in the region.
“I was accused of being a partisan by one of the parties
involved in the conflict. Despite my efforts to explain the
nature of our work and the principles and impartiality of the
Red Cross, as well as the humanitarian mission of PMI, I was
put in jail.”
But neither this experience, nor the loss of her husband during
the conflict, has shaken her resolve. “Even the death
of my husband could not stop me from helping whoever was wounded
in the fighting, whatever side they belonged to.”
Athinas says her experience in jail has further boosted her
courage and drive to serve in times of crisis. “Red Cross
has become my way of life. I respond spontaneously to disaster
and emergency.”
Red Cross volunteers in Aceh – volunteers like Suherman
and Athinas – share a common thread in the stories they
tell, the risks they recount, and the joy they have in serving
their communities. Many of them now have a precious certificate,
a simple but cherished testimony of appreciation on behalf of
the countless thousands of people they have helped. They themselves
are testimony to the humanitarian spirit at the heart of the
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
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Suherman
feels fulfilled providing humanitarian service to vulnerable
people, saying that it has given him a deeper and nobler
view of life. (p15168)
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Athinas,
a Satgana member since 1999, says not even jail can stop
her from doing her humanitarian work with Indonesian Red
Cross (PMI). (p15167)
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Indonesia
Red Cross (PMI) volunteers are happy to receive certificate
of appreciation from PMI and the International Federation,
the proof of their commitment to serve the people despite
difficulties and risks. (15171)
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