Around 07:58 WIB, a 9.1 magnitude earthquake struck the Indian Ocean to the west of Sumatra Island, followed by a tsunami wave that claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. The province of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam was the hardest hit, with an estimated 170,000 people losing their lives. Undoubtedly, this event left deep scars for the survivors.

Despite having lost so much, the people of Aceh never lost their spirit to rise again. Yayasan CARE Peduli (CARE Indonesia), which was known as CARE International Indonesia at the time, assisted tsunami victims through the Beudoh program, which in the local language means “to rise.” CARE Indonesia worked hand-in-hand with local communities to improve the situation, including a housing reconstruction program that continues to stand strong and is still inhabited by residents today.

Assigned to a Devastated Land

Marthen Malo was one of the CARE Indonesia staff involved in the handling of the Aceh tsunami disaster in 2004. “After the tsunami hit Aceh, around February 2005, I was assigned to Simeuleu Island, located to the west of Sumatra. This island is quite far from Banda Aceh, but it was one of the affected areas,” he said.

He explained that the Beudoh program carried out by CARE Indonesia in Aceh focused on nutrition, reconstruction, clean water needs, sanitation, and health. “The tsunami waves also destroyed many buildings, so the survivors needed supplies to support their health. Therefore, when CARE Indonesia arrived, it focused on providing clean water, sanitation facilities, and nutrition to support the community’s health at that time,” he said.

“Initially, I was assigned to Simeuleu Island to implement post-disaster programs. But a few months later, I was sent to Aceh Besar to carry out a reconstruction program, which involved building homes for around 1,500 families who had lost their homes due to the tsunami waves. The housing program for tsunami victims was spread across five locations in Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar,” Marthen explained.

“The aid programs for disaster victims carried out by CARE Indonesia at that time received support from CARE International members such as CARE Australia, CARE United Kingdom, CARE United States, CARE Canada, CARE Netherlands, and CARE Germany. There were also private companies that helped, such as The Boeing Company,” Marthen added.

Efforts to Rise

Marthen shared that he witnessed the tsunami-affected community living with many limitations. Many had lost family members, and many had lost their homes. “What impressed me about the people of Aceh was their spirit to rise again. I remember, the people of Aceh are hardworking. We worked together to restore the situation. They worked cooperatively, helping each other. The people of Aceh are strong and willing to fight,” he emphasized.

Wiwik Widyastuti, a CARE Indonesia staff member who served in Aceh in 2005, also shared similar sentiments about the resilience of the people of Aceh. “I saw the toughness of the people of Aceh rising again after losing so much. The community there supported each other to remain strong and continue with life,” Wiwik added.

Wiwik mentioned that one of the housing reconstruction projects conducted by CARE Indonesia was located in Kota Jantho, Aceh Besar. “This location was chosen because it had minimal risk of disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis, and there was still plenty of vacant land to be used for settlement. The land was owned by the government, which made it easier to cooperate and obtain the necessary permits from related institutions,” she explained.

She further elaborated that the procedure for providing housing aid faced its own challenges due to the loss of important documents by the residents when the waves struck. “At that time, we worked with various government agencies and other humanitarian organizations that were operating in Aceh to verify data to ensure the aid reached the right recipients. Many tsunami victims no longer had important documents because they had been swept away by the waves. Therefore, we coordinated and asked neighbors or relatives of the aid recipients,” she said.

Successfully Rising Again

The tsunami occurred 20 years ago. According to Wiwik, the people of Aceh have now successfully risen and are in a better place. “Now, physical development and the quality of life of the people have improved. Women in Aceh now have better opportunities. They can access education and have better careers than before,” she said.

Marthen recalled that 20 years ago, the housing aid recipients, who were mostly from the coastal areas, had to struggle in new places far from the sea. “The housing was given to those who were committed to becoming beneficiaries and were willing to farm. This posed a challenge for them to adapt to their new surroundings,” he explained.

According to acehprov.go.id, the housing complex named Perumahan CARE in Kota Jantho, Aceh Besar, which was once one of the relocation sites for tsunami victims from CARE Indonesia, is now inhabited by 189 families. Seventy percent of the residents are farmers, while the rest are civil servants, military personnel, police officers, and people with other professions. “If I get the chance, I want to visit Aceh again. I want to see the community that has risen,” Marthen concluded.

Writer: Kukuh A. Tohari
Editor: Swiny Adestika
Photo: Renee Picasso Manoppo/May 2005