Aceh twelve months on

Aminah is 44 years old and a widow who lost three children and her husband when the giant tsunami engulfed not only her family and house, but also everything that was life itself. Three children survived, which was indeed a blessing, but also it could be viewed as a burden when you have no money, no real hope and your dignity has been pushed aside in a living environment that severely degrades women and totally frustrates men.

The tent camp at Lhoknga in Aceh province has been transformed over the months into an area that has plants and flowers; it has a cleanliness about it as it nestles under the shade of coconut trees, which make the site look quite attractive. But this is twelve months on and that life, no matter how tranquil it may look, is nothing short of unhappiness and of helplessness.

No doubt assessments will be made on the performance of aid agencies and NGO's in Aceh and all I hope is that somewhere along the line people start to realize that it is the responsibility of us all, as human beings, to push aside unwanted obstacles and work as a team to resolve the many logistical and frustrating problems. Inflation and greed have forced prices to a level that is quite grotesque and we need to take steps to reverse that trend.

There is a lot of money available, and that fact alone has brought forward the vultures that come in all shapes and sizes. I very much doubt at the end of the day if one single house in Aceh will cost less than Rp 100 million in real terms -- and this no matter what the tender document says.

If we were to divide the costs of accommodating the hundreds of NGOs scattered throughout Aceh and elsewhere, and then divide this into the achievements so far ..., but then we will never know that figure and probably just as well.

Aminah looks forward to her new house and I guess when it eventually arrives, she will be able to hold her head a lot higher, and that I look forward to seeing. I meet with Aminah and the other widows every month and never fail to admire their courage -- let us hope the NGOs can turn things around quickly and achieve the long-awaited progress.

DAVID WALLIS, Medan, North Sumatra