'Nothing Can Steal My Spirit'
By Gita ModgilJust before the tsunami hit, Anik Halijah's brother and sister-in-law took her 2-year-old daughter to the beach near their home in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. When she felt the earth moving, Anik raced toward the raging waters to find her family.
It took Anik Halijah more than a month to pull out of her fear and depression after the tsunami nearly drowned her and her family. Photo by CRS Staff
Miraculously, they all survived. But others were not so lucky. The deadly waves killed many of her relatives and neighbors and destroyed her village. The tsunami killed over 230,000 people in 12 countries across Asia and East Africa, leaving more than 2 million people without homes. Indonesia suffered the greatest losses with more than 160,000 known dead, most in Aceh Province.
"Nothing can steal my spirit, not even the tsunami," says Anik. It took her a month to pull out of the depression and fear that surrounded her in the days after the tsunami hit. But then she decided not to let the tragedy overshadow the rest of her life. Anik helps others by working for CRS, which was on the ground in Aceh days after the disaster and immediately began to hire survivors.
Before the tsunami, Anik was a secretary for a small local business. Now, as a CRS program officer, Anik facilitates meetings that give her neighbors the opportunity to choose among house designs as CRS rebuilding programs progress. She also works closely with local humanitarian organizations to provide training in peacebuilding and building the capacity of communities to provide for the needs of their people.
Anik explains that the rewards of working with CRS go beyond supporting her family. "Working with CRS has helped me cope with the trauma. It gives me a chance to help other tsunami survivors, which makes me happy."
All around Aceh, there are signs of renewal - marriages, births, new homes and businesses. Anik and her family are part of this recovery process as well, eagerly awaiting the birth of their second child in early September. "I may have lost my material possessions, but my family survived and that's what keeps me smiling."
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.
