Aceh twelve months on

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