Out of Disaster, Homes of Their Own

By Gita Modgil

As the tsunami waters retreated, leaving nothing but devastation behind, the villagers of Rundeng, Indonesia, wondered if they would ever again have happy stories to tell. But the story of this coastal village — which witnessed the deaths of over a hundred of its members in an instant — is one of hope and resilience.

Those who were fortunate enough to have fled to the safety of a nearby mosque when the waves hit returned to find their loved ones lost and their community destroyed. This is when the village first came in contact with Catholic Relief Services. CRS distributed food, tents and other necessities to families in the area.

Soon after the disaster, CRS initiated several cash-for-work programs in Rundeng. This got villagers clearing the debris left by the floodwaters, while enabling families to receive immediate income so they could rebuild their lives. At the same time, the government of Indonesia was developing their policy on reconstructing landowners' homes. Unfortunately, this policy excluded the community of Rundeng, since most of the villagers had lived in rented homes before the tsunami. But the new policy, together with fear of living close to the ocean, gave Rundeng's village leader, Mr. Taufiq, an idea.

The Rest of the Story

The community decided that each person would save a part of their CRS cash-for-work payment and then pool together the money to buy land from a local landowner. And that's the story of how 167 renters bought a piece of land to call their own.

"We were all caught up in the same situation and the feeling of togetherness is what drove me to change things for my community", explained Mr. Taufiq. "I am happy my community now owns their own land."

In May 2005, Mr. Taufiq and the villagers moved to Lapang, an area several miles inland. CRS continues to support the community by distributing food and offering villagers through cash for clearing their new land and building adequate water and sanitation systems.

"I think the community is driving us forward. They are the impetus and CRS is trying to keep up with them," says Ross Tomlinson, CRS' water and sanitation program manager.

The new residents of Lapang are happy to have a success story to tell — one that shows how, even in the midst of such tragedy, there is hope.

Gita Modgil is a media and communications officer for Catholic Relief Services. Formerly a radio show host and journalist from Mumbai, India, Gita is based in Aceh Province, Indonesia.