Photo credit: JP\/Nani Afrida<\/p>\n
Aceh village staff serve citizens in tent office<\/p>\n
A tent measuring three-by-three meters is erected on top of the
\nrubble on the side of the road from Banda Aceh to Krueng Raya. A
\nsmall desk, a typewriter and several neatly arranged documents in
\na blue plastic holder are all that the tent holds. Guests have to
\nsit on a small mat because there are no chairs.<\/p>\n
This is the administrative office for Cadek village in
\nBaitussalam district, Aceh Besar, one of the many villages
\ndevastated in the December tsunami. In this makeshift office,
\nvillage officials attend to the needs of villagers.<\/p>\n
Before the tsunami, the population of Cadek was about 1,800.
\nNow only 432 residents remain, consisting of 178 families. Most
\nof the remaining residents, including the village chief and
\nsecretary, perished in the earthquake and tsunami.<\/p>\n
New village officials were selected by the surviving
\nresidents, and are known as "tsunami officials".<\/p>\n
The makeshift office was set up a month after the disaster.<\/p>\n
"Every day there is someone here who needs to arrange some
\ndocuments," the new village secretary, T. Iskandar, told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
From their small tent, the village administrative staff
\nperform various services like arranging death certificates,
\ninheritance letters, letters stating the loss of belongings and
\nrequests for new ID cards.<\/p>\n
"The most frequent requests are from people requiring
\nreplacement ID cards. Because it is still an emergency situation,
\nthe ID cards are ready in just two days," said Iskandar.<\/p>\n
Before the new office got up and running, the officials
\nprocured letterheads and a village administrative stamp.<\/p>\n
Surviving residents are working to build a more permanent
\nvillage office from wood and corrugated tin recovered from houses
\nand buildings destroyed in the tsunami.<\/p>\n
"The village office will possibly move to this new building
\nsoon," said a village figure, Muhammad Husain, 67.<\/p>\n
Surviving residents scattered about in different shelters for
\ndisplaced people can still visit the makeshift office for
\nassistance.<\/p>\n
"We are sure that many surviving Cadek residents still do not
\nknow there is a village office, even though it is just a tent,"
\nsaid Iskandar.<\/p>\n
Not only is the village office serving Cadek residents, but is
\nalso helping residents of at least 107 other villages in Aceh
\nBesar who have no where else to turn. (JP\/Nani Afrida)<\/p>",
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