Surviving the tsunami, bracing for the future

Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post/Banda Aceh

If you visit a refugee camp in Lampuuk, Aceh Besar regency, you will find the food to be in abundant supply and varied, ranging from instant noodles to rice. Mineral water is also plentiful. In fact, there is enough food to feed the refugees for several weeks to come.

But, not all the refugees are happy. They still want to work, especially the women. "The refugee aid is only temporary. It can run out in the near future and then we would have to stand on our own two feet," said Rasyidah, 45, one of the refugees.

Before the tsunami struck Aceh on Dec. 26, Rasyidah sold vegetables and chicken eggs in Aceh market, some 12 kilometers east of Lampuuk. She was quite successful and was able to build her own house.

"I bought building materials, including cement and sand, and got the house built. But, its all gone now," said Rasyidah, who lost her husband and her only daughter to the disaster. She now lives with her two sons in the refugee camp.

Rasyidah and the other women in Lampuuk are hard workers, and bring in much needed additional income for their families. In fact, their strong work ethic has helped boost the local economy. Almost all the houses in Lampuuk are permanent houses, and some are even have two stories.

"The women know how to persevere. They work for the family, produce cakes, and sell fish, vegetables and other things," said Rohani, another Lampuuk resident.

The tsunami, however, has wrecked the local economy. And so, what of the future?

The area has been totally devastated by the tsunami. Every building has been leveled, and only the rubble remains. The people in the refugee camps now have to brace for the future. "We want to start work again, but we have no capital," said Rasyidah.

"Even if we had the capital, where would we sell our cakes?" asked Rohani, who used to be a cake seller.

Rasyidah and Rohani are not alone. There are 38 other women in Lampuuk who are still at a loss to know what to do in the future.

For the time being, the women rely for money on job creation schemes run out by the government, including clearing up the rubble in Lampuuk, for which they are paid Rp 35,000 (US$3.80). "Not much, but it's OK," they say, adding that they are now thinking about how to secure more permanent work.

Unlike the women in Lampuuk, the women in Tuha subdistrict, Peukan district, Banda Aceh, generally work in the rattan industry. The involvement of women in the industry has made the subdistrict famous for its rattan furniture.

But, the industry is gone following the tsunami.

Now, almost three months after the disaster, the wheels of the economy have started to move again. Some women have opened small shops selling sugar, soap, eggs and candies. Others have established small coffee shops. They are beginning to forget the trauma of the tsunami, and are optimistic that they will have a brighter future.