Six months after ...

Six months after the tsunami, Aceh is still struggling to rebuild itself.

While sadness remains among the people who survived the natural disaster, they have started to rebuild their lives.

The following images of people and places in Setia Bakti and Calang districts in Aceh Jaya regency show how the Acehnese have put the natural disaster behind them and to get back on their feet again.

They have built their new homes on hillsides to keep them safe from new tsunamis. Many of the men are busy building fishing boats, while the women are trying to start cultivating their land again. Meanwhile, as every else, the children love to pass the time playing.

A health clinic has been built in Calang, and was opened on June 14 by Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari and Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Freddy Numberi.

The residents understand that life has to go on and Aceh's future depends on them.

-- Text and photos by Arief Suhardiman

Photo A: Aceh

Wooden houses and tents on a hillside in Setia Bakti district, Aceh Jaya. Residents have built their new homes on higher ground for fear of another tsunami.

Photo B: Aceh

Three men are seen busy building a fishing boat in the coastal village of Calang, Aceh Jaya. Most fishing boats in Aceh were destroyed by the tsunami and the fishermen who survived the natural disaster are now in need of new boats so that they can go back to sea again.

Photo C: Aceh

Four women clean the seashore of weeds in Setia Bakti district, Aceh Jaya.

Photo D: Aceh

Children enjoy themselves in a playground in Setia Bakti district, Aceh Jaya. Fun and games give Acehnese children the chance to forget, for the while at least, the horrors of the tsunami, which killed many of their relations.

Photo E: Aceh

Workmen are seen busy building additional facilities at the new health center in Calang, Aceh Jaya. The US$500,000 project is being funded by HSBC Indonesia and Rolls-Royce.

Photo F: Aceh

Six months after the tsunami, the coast at Calang, Aceh Java, is beginning to regain its beauty. It is hoped that local people will also soon regain their zest for life.