Indonesia

More than 650 families have returned home through UMCOR’s reconstruction program

910 students and teachers attend and work in UMCOR-rehabilitated schools

More than 700 entrepreneurs have received UMCOR training and assistance to start businesses that benefit their communities

Background

In response to the December 2004 earthquake and tsunami that struck the coast of Sumatra, UMCOR established offices in Indonesia and is working with local communities to rebuild. UMCOR Indonesia works in shelter and infrastructure reconstruction, water and sanitation, income generation, health and nutrition, education and community development. Additionally, emergency relief programs have been implemented in coordination with the Methodist Church of Indonesia (MCI). Through these efforts, UMCOR Indonesia has assisted well over 40,000 direct beneficiaries.

UMCOR's strategy for 2007-2009 is to build on its successes and continue to help revitalize communities in Bireuen, Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar. This will be achieved by rebuilding homes for those who are still without, providing them income generation assistance—the second highest priority for most tsunami-affected families after homes. UMCOR continues to rebuild communities so they are better than they were before the tsunami through improved schools, health, community infrastructure and other elements that make a community complete and viable in the longer-term.

RECONSTRUCTION

Revitalization of Aceh Communities (RAC)

UMCOR has built 44 new permanent houses, completed two road rehabilitation projects, and constructed two irrigation channels for villages that currently lack proper irrigation in Bireuen. In addition to housing reconstruction and rehabilitation, the villagers are in need of income generation assistance to start new businesses or to further grow existing businesses.

The city of Banda Aceh and neighboring Aceh Besar District were some of the worst-hit areas by the earthquake and tsunami. For example, one village had 470 people out of a total population of 971 killed in the tsunami and the entire village was heavily damaged or destroyed. Significant reconstruction work has been completed or is now underway, but many communities are still in need of multi-faceted assistance in order to be renewed. UMCOR has built 40 new permanent houses in Aceh Besar District for residents of Temporary Living Centers in Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar.

UMCOR also constructed a bridge in Aceh Besar’s Ingin Jaya sub-district, rehabilitated a recreational field in Banda Aceh that recently hosted barracks for families displaced by the tsunami, and built a community center for Reuloh and Jurong Peunyeurat Villages.

Revitalization of Aceh Communities (RAC)

UMCOR has built 44 new permanent houses and completed two road rehabilitation projects in two neighboring villages in the Gandapura sub-district of Bireuen. In addition to housing reconstruction and rehabilitation, the villagers are in need of income generation assistance to start new businesses or to further grow existing businesses.

The city of Banda Aceh and neighboring Aceh Besar District were some of the worst-hit areas by the earthquake and tsunami. For example, one village had 470 people out of a total population of 971 killed in the tsunami and the entire village was heavily damaged or destroyed. Significant reconstruction work has been completed or is now underway, but many communities are still in need of multi-faceted assistance in order to be renewed. UMCOR is building 40 new permanent houses in Aceh Besar District for residents of Temporary Living Centers in Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar.

UMCOR is also constructing a bridge in Aceh Besar’s Ingin Jaya sub-district and rehabilitating a recreational field in Banda Aceh that recently hosted barracks for families displaced by the tsunami.

Reconstruction and Development for Aceh & Nias (RADAN)

This integrated, multi-sector project addresses several aspects of reconstruction and development needs in the targeted communities in Aceh and contributes to improving community development in Nias. The RADAN project work is taking place in Aceh Besar, Banda Aceh and Bireuen, Aceh Province as well as a small research and infrastructure project in South Nias, North Sumatra Province. UMCOR staff are assessing locations and contracting construction of 105 houses and eight community infrastructure projects and have contracted an engineering consulting firm to perform the water research activity. It is anticipated that seventy five houses will be built in Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar while 30 houses will be built in Bireuen. Three community infrastructure projects – a school, a community center and a market place – will be built in Saree Village to support UMCOR’s partnership with CARE International in the SCIIH project (below) and four schools in Bireuen will have their WASH facilities upgraded in coordination with other WASH activities conducted by the Australia-Indonesia Partnership.

Saree Community Infrastructure and Improved Housing Project (SCIIH)

UMCOR is working in partnership with CARE Canada to assist tsunami-affected families in the new area of Saree village, Aceh Besar District. The program will enable these families to live in a safe and thriving community that has permanent houses for all families as well as access to improved water and sanitation, education, economic opportunities and other activities that foster community growth and interaction. One hundred sixty-one tsunami-affected and landless families will benefit from the SCIIH. Many of them are still living in the temporary barracks that were erected to supply housing following the tsunami.

These 161 families represent a small minority of tsunami survivors in Aceh who have yet to receive permanent housing. CARE has already begun construction on houses for these families, and CARE will provide access to water and much of the infrastructure in the new settlement. UMCOR’s is supporting the construction and ongoing development of this community: 161 permanent homes (including septic tanks and connection to CARE’s water supply network), one primary school, one community center, and one market.

EDUCATION

Revitalization of Aceh Communities (RAC)

Almuslim University is the second largest university in Aceh and the only university in Bireuen. Since the current library has far too few books for the size of the university population (some 9,471 students), UMCOR has provided more than 1,200 library books in accordance with the priorities of university lecturers, including dictionaries and encyclopedias, and English language anthropology, economics, mathematics, biology, computer science, database processing, accounting, economics, management, physics, architecture, calculus, business, psychology, medicine, and many more.

INCOME GENERATION

Sustainable Income Generation in Aceh II (SIGA II)

After completion of the first SIGA project, UMCOR is beginning the SIGA II project, which will help residents of two tsunami affected villages - Kuala Jeumpa and Blang Dalam - build sustainable livelihoods. UMCOR is training community leaders to run Community Development Committees and Community Development Funds and villagers to develop and operate sustainable businesses. A total of 267 villagers attended a four-day business skill training session, which taught participants how to complete business plans. Once business plans have been submitted, UMCOR and CDCs will review business plans and provided start-up packages for some 115 business plans.

Revitalization of Aceh Communities (RAC)

UMCOR staff is working with communities in Gandapura, Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar to improve residents’ business skill knowledge and to enable them to re-establish their pre-tsunami businesses (or develop new small businesses). Once business training needs are identified, and based on UMCOR-Indonesia’s previous experience implementing business skills training and income generation assistance, sessions are developed with technical consultants for conducting a business skills course that is tailored to the specific needs of the participants and includes training on how to develop a business plan. More than 550 beneficiaries have received business skills training through these sessions. As a result of these trainings, interested entrepreneurs in the target villages were better able to develop a business plan for business start-up inputs. One important requirement for the business plan is a commitment to repay 50% of the value of the assistance received (whether in cash or services or in-kind materials) for the benefit of the community. More than 250 successful business plans are being funded with start-up business packages that reflect business interests and entrepreneurs are receiving follow-up technical guidance.

Sustainable Income Generation in Aceh (SIGA)

UMCOR is enabling tsunami survivors in two villages of Aceh Province to operate successful, sustainable business and to support themselves and their families through aprogram funded by the American Baptist Churches, USA. This project is benefiting entrepreneurs in Kuala Raja and Cot Batee villages of Bireuen District, providing more than 120 people with business skills training for fishery management, livestock husbandry and agricultural production and over 210 families with inputs to launch successful businesses. UMCOR Indonesia is also building the capacity of local community groups so that the gift of livelihoods assistance can be multiplied to help additional people beyond the life of this project.

Reconstruction and Development for Aceh & Nias (RADAN)

Livelihoods for Affected Communities in Bireuen, Aceh (LABA)

With support from the American Red Cross, UMCOR is working to improve incomes, increase knowledge and enable sustainable livelihood recovery in 10 tsunami-affected villages in Bireuen District. Under this project, UMCOR is providing business plan, business skills and livelihood trainings and productive assets in the form income generation packages to 700 families in the targeted villages. UMCOR has established Community Development Committees in all 10 villages and is working with them to identify and rehabilitate community-owned infrastructure and build their capacity to play an active role in the economic development of their communities. The committees decided that these projects will focus on road rehabilitation, bridge construction and fish pond channel construction.

HEALTH

In collaboration with UNICEF, UMCOR is completing its implementation of a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) project to rehabilitate water, sanitation and hygiene facilities and improve good hygiene and medical waste disposal practices at 31 schools in Aceh and the Bireuen District Hospital Project.

The project is contributing to important initiatives underway worldwide to improve water, sanitation and hygiene in schools and health facilities as well as contribute to UNICEF's priorities for Aceh and Indonesia.

The WASH Project is improving the overall health of those attending the 31 schools and the health of hospital occupants at Bireuen District Hospital RSU Dr. Fauziah. This is being achieved by providing greater access to improved water and sanitation facilities at 21 schools and the hospital; improving the water supply at 21 schools and the hospital; hygiene education, training and capacity building of students and teachers at all 31 schools and the hospital; and waste disposal education, training and capacity building of nurses, doctors, cleaners, and administrators at the hospital.

The creation of sustainable committees to address water, sanitation, hygiene and medical waste issues—particularly long-term budgeting and maintenance needs—in the 31 schools and the hospital, and the close cooperation and support of local government agencies and communities, is enabling the improvements made through this project to continue to benefit the Banda Aceh, Aceh Besar and Bireuen population long after the project finishes.

Approximately 72,227 persons are benefiting directly from this project, specifically 6,380 students, 495 teachers and other staff, about 65,000 hospital patients (inpatients and outpatients), and 352 hospital staff.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Community mobilization and active participation have contributed to UMCOR's success and beneficiary satisfaction. Before houses or infrastructure are delivered, UMCOR works closely with beneficiaries to form Community Development Committees (CDCs). These village-led committees take ownership of infrastructure and agree to maintain facilities in the future. By creating CDCs and allowing community members to make important decisions, the facilities become an integral part of the community and are well-utilized. CDCs consist of 8-10 village leaders, and UMCOR encourages and requires female participation in CDCs. CDCs can serve as a springboard for long-term development, as committees lobby for government services or support for local small businesses. UMCOR has helped establish nine CDCs to date as well as 31 committees in Acehnese schools and two representative committees in one Acehnese hospital. Working closely with local communities is an integral part of all UMCOR Indonesia projects.

Reconstruction and Development for Aceh & Nias (RADAN)

To support Aceh communities and build local capacity, UMCOR conducted a Request for Proposals (RFP) from local NGOs based in Aceh or North Sumatra. UMCOR intends to select three or four projects in the areas of education, children’s rights, women empowerment, community empowerment and post-conflict recovery.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND INTERVENTION

Emergency Response Capacity Development

Under this project, approximately 25-30 UMCOR Indonesia staff will receive training and other capacity building support to improve their knowledge and skills in emergency response to establish an Emergency Response Team. UMCOR Indonesia will also be prepared to respond to at least one emergency, providing humanitarian assistance that will alleviate the suffering of disaster-affected Indonesians in at least one community.

PARTNERS IN OUR WORK

UMCOR Indonesia works with a variety of partners to make our work possible. In addition to the private funds we receive through the United Methodist Church we also receive support from the following:

The American Baptist Churches, USA
The United Nations Children's Fund
The American Red Cross
CARE International

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