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.