Acehnese women back to business after disaster

Acehnese women back to business after disaster

Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

From a human point of view, Endang, an Acehnese woman who fell
victim to the devastating tsunami last December, had many reasons
to give up on life.

Her whole family was at home together before the giant waves
swept the province the morning after Christmas. When the tsunami
hit, Forty-year-old Endang felt her nine-month-old baby boy slip
from her arms as they tumbled around inside the waves. When the
tumbling finally stopped she was alone.

Later that day, she found the bodies of her husband and her
eldest daughter Yayang, who was nine. Her three other children
officially remain on the missing list.

"I have started teaching again," said Endang, who is a
biology teacher at the state junior high school SMP 16 in Banda
Aceh.

"I used to decline teacher-training offers, even one in
Malaysia, because I didn't want to leave the children behind. I'm
going to take such opportunities now," she told The Jakarta Post.

Her plans do not stop there. Endang used to sell clothes in
her garage-turned-boutique to her colleagues as a side job. Now
she intends to expand further by opening a stall at the local
market, using some of her savings.

"My family told me 'why do you want to work here and there
when you have enough of a salary?' but I just don't like doing
nothing," she said. "I never did."

Other Acehnese women are also making plans after months of
relative inactivity at tent camps.

Nurlaila, 36, worked part-time in rice fields in her village,
before the water ruined the area.

"I want to work, but I don't know what to do here," said the
mother of three children - all of whom survived -- as she sat
sewing her son's pants in her tent in Mata Ie camp.

Nurlaila's husband now cleans up debris in the city for Rp
30,000 (US$3.22) a day, enough to put food on the table for the
family.

For Salamiah, who also lives in the camp, working is
definitely a necessity now. Along with her five children, she
takes care of four more children: the sons and daughters of her
late brother who died in the tsunami. Salamiah's husband, who
sells watches to make a living, has 11 mouths to feed in the
family now.

Salamiah used to sell soft drinks at Cermin beach in Uleleue,
one of the worst hit areas with only a handful of buildings left
standing.

"I really want to start selling again," she said. "Having
nothing to do (like now) is no fun."

Money aside, most of them say they just want to keep busy to
so they do not have to dwell on the tragedy.

But before they can start working and get their lives back on
track, each of the women has different needs to attend to.

"If I have capital, I can start my kiosk right away," said
Salamiah.

For Endang, what is important is getting a place of her own.
"I'm really looking forward to moving to a temporary house. Right
now I'm staying with relatives. I still feel a bit uncomfortable
if I go out and get busy all day," she said.

But still, the most important thing, is to have something to
do.

"I'll do anything, as long as it is halal (permitted by
Islamic law)," said Nurlaila.