The soft, warm island wind carried full air through the rice paddy and ruffled the bending grass.
Nutiba Peli stood proudly in the doorway of her small home. In 2005 a violent earthquake had racked the tiny island of Nias. Nutiba, her husband and three children were forced to flee to the mountains where they had little access to food. The earthquake destroyed their fields, they lost their economic activity. With no way to provide for their family, Nutiba and her husband grieved as they realized they would not be able to send their children to school. When their family returned to Lauru Fachro, their land was barren.

One rice field plot should produce about 800kg of rice. After the earthquake, rice production was at a low of 400kg. The drop in production was affecting the entire community. FH began working on Nias island in 2007, and immediately saw the need to reinvigorate the rice fields for fruitful production. FH staff built a sample rice plot next to Nutiba’s home and began offering trainings in rice production; how to fertilize the land, install irrigation and arrange the rice plants within the field. Soon, rice production began to increase. Rice is a staple in the Indonesian diet and a commodity in local trade. Nutiba’s fields began producing so much rice that she was not only able to feed her family, but they were able to afford to pay for her children to go to school. Nutiba says her dream is to see her children have a bright future, marked with joy. They are already well on their way.

WHERE

+ Democratic Republic
-- of Congo
+ Ethiopia
+ Kenya
+ Rwanda
+ Uganda

 

+ FH HISTORY:

FH Indonesia was birthed out of a need to respond to the great tragedy brought about by the massive December 2004 tsunami. FH assisted survivors in their journey not just towards recovery and rehabilitation but towards sufficiency and self-reliance. FH’s work began when an assessment team was sent to Aceh. FH’s international partnership initially responded with medicine, food and other emergency aid including medical teams, water and sanitation experts, counselors and other experts and first responders.

Programming was started in Banda Aceh and eventually spread south to Meulaboh, Calang and the west coast of Aceh. Programs focused most heavily on infrastructure, livelihood, agriculture, and education. Cash for work and incentive payment programs provided the opportunity for clearing the tsunami debris and rubble while at the same time employing those who lost their livelihoods and injecting cash into the economy. After the Nias earthquake of March 28, 2005 FH expanded programming to that island with an emphasis on medical and food relief, as well as water and sanitation.

An agriculture revitalization and capacity building program is currently underway in this area. FH also sent an assessment team to Jogjakarta immediately following the May 27, 2006 earthquake. Support was provided to the victims though medical personnel, distribution of non-food items and emergency shelter construction. Longer-term responses such as providing housing and water and sanitation to community members were also provided.

Some of these programs and projects are short-term in nature and have already accomplished their purpose. Others will take years to implement before tangible results become evident. FH continues to seek ways on how it can grow in its service to the people of Indonesia.

+ indonesia's HISTORY:

Indonesia, a nation in South East Asia comprising of 17,508 islands, is the world's largest archipelagic state. With a population of over 200 million, it is the world's fourth most populous country and, though officially not an Islamic state, is the most populous Muslim-majority nation.

Across its many islands, Indonesia consists of distinct ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups, the Javanese being the politically dominant and largest. The national motto - "Bhinneka tunggal ika" ("Unity in Diversity" lit. "many, yet one") articulates the diversity that shapes the country. Indonesia has developed a shared identity defined by a national language, a majority Muslim population, and a history of colonialism and rebellion against it. However, violent confrontations emanating from sectarian tensions and separatism undermine regional stability.

Indonesian history has been influenced by foreign powers drawn to its natural resources. Under Indian influence, Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms flourished from the early centuries CE, Muslim traders brought Islam, and European powers fought one another to monopolize trade in the Spice Islands of Maluku. Dutch colonialism lasted for three and a half centuries and the Japanese occupied Indonesia for three years during the World War II. On August 17, 1945, a small group of Indonesians, led by Soekarno and Mohammad Hatta, proclaimed independence and established the Republic of Indonesia.

Current issues that Indonesia has to address include alleviating poverty, preventing terrorism, consolidating democracy after four decades of authoritarianism, implementing financial sector reforms, stemming corruption, and holding the military and police accountable for human rights violations. It is also still recovering from the destruction caused by the December 2004 tsunami that particularly affected the Aceh province causing over 200,000 deaths and over $4 billion in damage as well as the earthquakes in Nias and Jogjakarta. Reconstruction in these areas may take up to a decade to complete.

+ FACTS:

+ Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands.

+ Indonesia is still struggling to cope with the aftermath of the December 2004 tsunami, which claimed more than 150,000 lives in the country.

+ Human trafficking is a serious problem. Each year, thousands of women and children fall victim to trafficking, including being forced or lured into the commercial sex trade.

+ Indonesia suffers the ramifications of yearly earthquakes.

+ Indonesia's national motto, “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika” ("Unity in Diversity" literally, "many, yet one"), articulates the diversity that shapes the country.

+ Facts From: UNICEF

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