Hoteliers pitch in for tsunami victims

Hoteliers pitch in for tsunami victims

Syofiardi Bachyul Jb, The Jakarta Post, Padang

Among the hundreds of thousands of tsunami victims, inhabitants
of the small islands around North Sumatra have drawn much less
attention.

An American couple, together with foreign and local surfers,
were among many who have donated their time and money to bring
relief to survivors of the disaster.

Chris Scurrah and Christina Fowler, who own and operate the
Batang Arau Hotel and Restaurant located along the Batang Arau
River in Padang, have delivered aid to victims, particularly
those living on islets around the Simeuleu and Nias islands.

The moment they learned about the tsunami and saw its
devastating impact on TV, they came up with Rp 600 million
(US$67,000) for the cause.

They were helped by hotel manager Yossi Agusti to use the
money to buy basic necessities such as sheets, sarongs, buckets,
plates, spoons, glasses, water containers, safety matches,
flashlights, batteries and food.

"The funds were actually for the hotel maintenance and boat
repair budget, but we decided to help them (the victims) first.
We can set aside funds for the hotel and boat upkeep later,"
Fowler told The Jakarta Post recently.

Scurrah has also operated a travel agency, Sumatra's Surf
Explorers, with branches in surf spots on Sumatra's west coast
since 2001. He usually takes guests to Simeuleu, Telo, Nias,
Mentawai islands and the Enggano islands.

The couple have got to know local residents on the islands,
some of whom suffered losses in the tsunami. The bond between
them and local residents led to their rapid response.

Scurrah recalled that he was renovating his boat when the
tragedy happened and could only dispatch relief aid on Jan. 1.
The first dispatch of aid was to Telo island. From there, he made
stops at nearby islands that had been largely passed over by
other aid groups.

"We have concentrated more on smaller islands such as Telo,
Banyak, Sirombu and Simeuleu islands," said Fowler.

Scurrah is very familiar with the islands and many of the
locals assisted him in distributing the aid. He also inspected
locations where victims needed help and relayed the information
to Fowler back at the hotel.

The couple continued to seek information about areas that
needed help because their efforts were so well received by
people.

Even though they never advertised what they were doing, some
people suggested that Fowler set up a aid distribution center at
the Batang Arau Hotel.

"Friends had come in a personal manner or as an institution,
borrowing funds from me to buy things needed by victims, and
later reimbursed the funds. They really didn't say much but
immediately provided the aid," said Fowler.

More than Rp 1 billion was spent on basic supplies, food and
equipment. Aid from other sources channeled through the Batang
Arau Hotel was also delivered to survivors.

Surfing-related businesses like Quick Silver, PT Sumatran
Surfaris, Mentawai Wisata Bahari and Indies Trader were involved
in the humanitarian relief efforts, as were other organizations
such as the Idep Foundation (Bali) and the Decko Restaurant
(Bali).

Apart from relief funds, the Idep Foundation, comparable to a
crisis center, also distributed medicine.

"Local people and students also asked us to distribute
clothing (they donated). They probably trusted us as we have
complete data on the ground to distribute the aid. They genuinely
wished to help after being saddened looking at the horrifying
images there," said Fowler.

There is still some aid waiting to be distributed. Fowler and
Scurrah said they would continue with relief efforts as long as
they were needed.