Aceh: Focus on people<\/p>\n
The reconstruction of Aceh moved into a new stage this week
\nwith the completion of military-style barracks to shelter victims
\nof the Dec. 26 tsunami. Not all the barracks have been completed
\nbut some 3,281 families, or more than 11,000 people, have now
\nmoved from their tents -- that had been their home since the Dec.
\n26 disaster -- to the more substantial constructions.<\/p>\n
More and more of them will be moved out of their tents over
\nthe coming days and weeks as more barracks are completed. The
\ngovernment estimates that some 100,000 of the estimated 500,000
\ndisplaced people will be accommodated in these new facilities.
\nOthers will probably have to linger on in their tents for the
\ntime being, and some will continue living with their relatives
\nwho were not directly affected by the disaster.<\/p>\n
As much as we'd like to laud this as a significant development
\nin the government's program to rebuild Aceh, the barracks are
\nonly marginally better as a place of abode than the tents.
\nPhysically, they are certainly much better, especially since rain
\noften makes the depressing life inside tents even more miserable.
\nBut as a place to rebuild family and community life, the
\nbarracks, at least the way that they have been designed and
\nconstructed, are unlikely to be much better than the tents.<\/p>\n
The barracks provide very little privacy, and this is
\nabsolutely necessary for normal family life to function. The
\npartitions separating one family from another inside the building
\nare quite inadequate. Families also have to share amenities, such
\nas bathrooms and kitchen, with other families in the barracks.<\/p>\n
Any joy that the barracks bring to relocated families is
\nlikely to be short-lived once the reality of barracks life sinks
\nin. Depression, so common in the camps over the past few weeks,
\nwill continue to haunt them.<\/p>\n
The government's Aceh reconstruction program puts too much
\nemphasis on physical aspects and not nearly enough on
\npsychological aspects. Rebuilding Aceh must ultimately be about
\nrebuilding the lives of its people. And where better to start
\nthan rebuilding the life of every family in Aceh that has been
\nshattered by the disaster.<\/p>\n
The decision to build the barracks was taken somewhat hastily
\nwhen other options, including some that took into consideration
\nmatters of privacy, were clearly available at the time. The
\nAlumni Association of Gadjah Mada University (KAGAMA), for
\nexample, came up with a proposal to design shelters in clusters
\nof small houses that give both privacy and a sense of community.
\nIts proposal was turned down in favor of standardized military-
\nstyle barracks, although the KAGAMA plan was as doable and
\ninexpensive as the barracks.<\/p>\n
While it is now too late to change, the lesson from this
\nepisode is that the government's program to rebuild Aceh must
\nfocus on people. Physical constructions must be adapted to the
\nneeds of people, not vice versa. Given the scale of the
\ndestruction, rebuilding Aceh will be a very costly and time
\nconsuming project. But the place to start should be with the
\nfamily, then the community, then the entire province.<\/p>\n
The barracks are merely very temporary shelters for the
\ntsunami victims. They are not designed as places for people to
\nrebuild family life, let alone rebuild communities.<\/p>\n
The government must now set itself a deadline as to how long
\nthese people will be expected to live in these military-style
\nbarracks before they are moved to proper places in order to
\nrebuild their families and communities.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/aceh-focus-on-people-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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