When the tsunami struck Rima village in Banda Aceh, it took the lives of young and old and destroyed nearly everything in its path, sweeping away homes, shops, schools, rice paddies and roads. Fighting off despair, villagers came together to rebuild.
With help from humanitarian organizations and other agencies, homes were reconstructed and key infrastructures rebuilt, allowing Rima’s residents to return to their village and re-establish their community.
The heart of village life in Aceh is the meunasah (community centre). It is a communal gathering space that meets a variety of needs, providing a place for meetings and celebrations and serving as natural meeting point in the event of a disaster. But above all, the meunasah is a source of shared pride and a larger symbol of community and belonging.
Destroyed
Rima’s humble wooden meunasah was destroyed by the tsunami and, for residents, life could not return to normal without it.
The American Red Cross and the Palang Merah Indonesia (PMI – Indonesian Red Cross) psychosocial support programme (PSP), in partnership with Mercy Corps, has now helped Rima’s survivors to reconstruct their meunasah.
The new, more durable concrete building is larger than its predecessor and can hold up to 126 families. Syamsiah, a 52-year-old resident, hopes the new meunasah will help gather community activities in one shared space, especially during Ramadhan.
Celebrations
“The new meunasah will provide a central place for village activities, like in the days before the tsunami. The fasting month of September will be a busy time for the community with many special activities and large celebrations,” she explains.
A total of 24 meunasah have been reconstructed or rehabilitated by the American Red Cross and Mercy Corps in ten coastal sub-districts of Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar.
Villagers contribute to the reconstruction of the buildings by providing land and other assistance and commit to maintain the structure over the long term. This construction project, costing 1.05 million Swiss francs (USD 1 million/646,000 euro), will benefit more than 5,500 tsunami-affected individuals who will use the structure for community events and activities supported by Red Cross Red Crescent PSP programmes. |
 |
 |
|
|
One of the 24 community centres or “meunasah” in Aceh Besar built by the American Red Cross and Mercy Corps. (p18006)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Syamsiah (on the right) meets other woman in the newly rebuilt meunasah in Rima village. (p18007)
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Syamsiah, a 52-year-old resident, hopes the new meunasah will help gather community activities in one shared space, especially during Ramadhan. (p18008)
|
|
News
