His
hands shake a little as he signs his name on the deposit slip
and turns over the money to the bank clerk. As he waits for
the next step, he grips his wheelchair with excitement.
When the bank teller hands back his pass book, Muzakir finally
heaves a sigh of relief.
"It’s done. Congratulations,” says the clerk,
as the people around him give a warm round of applause, taking
turns to shake Muzakir’s hand.
Like Muzakir, 60-year-old Laila, wearing her best clothes, given
to her by a friend, is excited. She barely slept a wink the
night before.
She and Muzakir are among the first of 42 heads of families
to receive 850,000 rupiahs (US$ 85) at the launch of a livelihood
programme for displaced families in Aceh province run by the
Indonesia Red Cross (Palang Merah Indonesia - PMI) and the British
Red Cross.
The launch at the Bank Central Asia (BCA) is another sign that
the Red Cross Red Crescent tsunami operation is moving into
the rehabilitation phase, six months after the disaster struck.
Like all the other people benefiting from the programme, Muzakir’s
and Laila’s houses were swept away by the giant waves.
“This will be our passbook to our new future,” says
Muzakir as he tucks the passbook inside his brown canvas shoulder
bag. “I can build a new house in Ulee Paya and buy a fishing
net.”
Ulee Paya is a village in Pulau district on Beras island, where
Muzakir and his family lived when the tsunami struck. It was
also in Ulee Paya that he badly injured his legs while diving
for sea cucumber and sea snails for a living.
“We are going back to Ulee Paya because that is where
my family roots are. That is where we will always be,”
says a determined Muzakir.
Laila, a widow with five children, says she will make her money
grow by putting up a small food stall, so that she can finance
the education of her children.
“The education of my children is my priority. But maybe,
I can build a house, too.”
Another programme recipient, 50-year-old Jallaludin, who is
married with five children, says he will use the money to build
a new house and buy a boat for his family’s subsistence.
“We are glad there is this financial assistance from the
Red Cross. At least, we can choose where to spend the money,
according to our priorities.”
As part of the rehabilitation phase of the tsunami operation,
the PMI and British Red Cross livelihood programme is aiming
to reach out to 10,000 displaced families in Aceh province with
support from the Indonesian government, the International Federation
and partner national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies as
well as other non-governmental organisations.
“This is a huge project. We are happy that other key players
are giving their full support and cooperation to ensure its
success,” says Matthias Schmale, British Red Cross Director
of international operations.
The programme will cost some US$ 70 million over a period of
three years. The funds will be provided through the Disaster
and Emergency Committee, an umbrella organization uniting 13
of the United Kingdom`s major aid agencies.
The objective of the programme is to empower the beneficiaries,
by providing them with funds that they can use as they deem
appropriate to their circumstances.
“The implementation, however, should always be within
the framework and guidelines agreed on by all parties concerned,
including the beneficiaries,” Schmale stressed. The programme
covers housing, livelihood and education for children, with
technical support from PMI and BRCS.
According to Bill Marsden, British Red Cross Senior Technical
Advisor, each family will be given US$ 3,500, primarily for
housing, and an additional US$ 1,000 for restarting some form
of economic activity to generate income.
For single parents, an additional US$ 500 will be provided by
the programme.
An orphan, on the other hand, gets an additional US$ 250 every
year for three years, or a total of US$ 750, provided he or
she goes to school and spends 85 per cent of the time studying,
according to Marsden.
In the initial phase, each family receives US$ 85. Of this,
US$ 60 will be deposited in a bank account under the name of
the beneficiary. The remainder is for the land registration
letter issued by the government, land certificate, and other
basic family needs.
Over 95 per cent of the funds for the communities are delivered
from international banks through the BCA into participating
family bank accounts, which will be audited twice yearly. The
programme has put in place monitoring and evaluation mechanisms
to ensure that every cent is properly accounted for.
In the pilot area of Pulo Aceh, the American Red Cross will
provide water and sanitation while the German Red Cross provides
for the building of the schools.
The British Red Cross has a commitment to source timber for
construction from sustainable and legal suppliers. It is also
using house designs that have been tested for resistance to
flood, earthquake and high winds.
|
 |
 |
|
|
Muzakir
lost his home in the tsunami. The funds from the Red Cross
will allow him to build a new house and help him rebuild
his livelihood (p12938)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Laila
signs her name to open her bank account. She hopes to
run a food stall to finance her children’s education
(p12939)
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Families
made homeless by the tsunami are currently living in tents.
Soon, though, they will move to disaster-proof housing
made from sustainable materials (p12940)
|
|
News
