The earthquake—and the hundreds of landslides that ensued—killed more than 1,000 people and damaged hundreds of thousands of homes. In the
immediate aftermath, as many as 190 international NGOs, including Medair, arrived in Padang to assess the damage and see how they could provide assistance.
“It’s been a remarkable
response,” said Mark Wooding, Medair’s Reconstruction Advisor, speaking from Padang in early October. “However, my concern is that after all the noise and the action, maybe not
enough will have been achieved through this initial response. This is where Medair’s role of looking for the forgotten and the vulnerable could become quite key, as the extent of actual need
becomes apparent.”
Indeed, during October, Medair’s partner, the local NGO Cipta Fondasi Komunitas (CFK), identified the most vulnerable people and communities who still had unmet
needs—particularly those with issues of shelter and reconstruction.
For the next three months, Medair and CFK will provide technical assistance to help these people construct
earthquake-resistant homes. Training materials will be produced in the local Bahasa language, and the team will conduct a series of workshops and on-site demonstrations that have proven highly
successful in similar settings.
“In recent years, we worked in post-earthquake environments in Pakistan and Iran, helping people construct homes to better withstand earthquakes,”
said Mr. Wooding. “Here in Indonesia, that expertise will make a major difference.
Medair and CFK will also “train the trainers,” so that this specialised technical knowledge
can have a widespread and sustainable impact on the Padang region. Furthermore, the team will provide construction tools and shelter materials for the most vulnerable and underserved people who
otherwise could not afford them.
Since 2006, Medair has conducted several emergency relief and rehabilitation projects in Indonesia, gaining valuable experience that will contribute to the
success of this current intervention.
“I think Medair has a very vital role here, coming in and building capacity in local people so that they will have fewer problems next time,”
concluded Mr. Wooding. “In this way, we will continue to gain trust with people—to be known as an organisation that does a good job and that can be trusted to help people where they need
it most.”
Medair began operations in Indonesia in July 2006, first working in tsunami-affected Aceh province. In February 2007, we launched our work on remote Nias Island. With those
projects closed, Medair is now assisting earthquake-affected people in the Padang region following a devastating earthquake in September 2009. ___________________________________________________ For all media inquiries please contact: Janneke de Kruijf – Media Officer. E-mail: janneke.dekruijf@medair.org. Tel.
+41.78.6353095 .
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
A boy cycles through a flooded road after several streets were partially submerged in water after heavy rains in Jakarta, November 12, 2009. Indonesia normally enters rainy season in October, although ...
