Catholic Relief Services Speeches and Testimony

Speech at the Dedication of the Banda Aceh Mother and Child Hospital by CRS Executive Vice President David Piraino

August, 2009

Good morning.

I am deeply honored to be with you on this most wonderful occasion and I am grateful to be here with all of you. It is with your cooperation and collaboration that we have reached where we are today.

How auspicious that we are gathered here today to celebrate the opening of the new wing of the Banda Aceh Mother and Child Hospital just as the holy month of Ramadan is beginning. On the occasion of this profoundly spiritual month of fasting, prayer and charity, I would like to extend my warmest greetings and best wishes to you and your families for a blessed holiday.

CRS works in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Indonesia and Banda Aceh in the same spirit of charity and concern for the poor and vulnerable that is at the heart of Ramadan. Both faith traditions require us to take the responsibility of insuring the dignity and respect of all people, and both faiths call us to act in a true spirit of charity, to help the poorest and most vulnerable, to give without expecting anything in return.

As we all know too well, on December 26, 2004, a great catastrophe befell this place. The Indian Ocean tsunami claimed more than 160,000 lives in Aceh province, and left more than 800,000 people without a place to live. Just three months later, another major earthquake hit the island of Nias, killing an additional 2,000 people and leaving 30,000 homeless. The destruction was almost unimaginable. The human suffering was even worse.

It is true that most of the physical scars of the tsunami have been repaired: homes have been rebuilt, roads and other infrastructure restored. But it will take many years before the invisible scars of that catastrophe can be fully healed. And so, while we are here today to celebrate the opening of the new wing of the Banda Aceh Mother and Child Hospital, I would also like to take this opportunity to express my deepest sympathy to the many families who lost loved ones in the tsunami.

In the United States, where I live, on the day the tsunami hit, we had just completed our celebration of Christmas, a joyous time when we focus on family and friends. But on that day, our joy turned to sorrow, and our focus shifted from our family and friends at home to our brothers and sisters half a world away.

As American Catholics, we are bound by the requirements of our faith to respond to people in need, no matter who they are or what creed they embrace. And when news reached us about your plight, the response was immediate and spontaneous.

I must confess to you that all of us at Catholic Relief Services were overwhelmed. While we are well known in our country and around the world for responding to the major disasters and emergencies, wherever they occur, the great devastation caused by the tsunami caught us unprepared by the outpouring of support by American Catholics. So many people wanted to donate to the relief effort that our computer system crashed for a short while. We heard from children who collected money from their classmates, taxi drivers who took donations from their passengers, and even one war veteran who gave up buying a new hearing aid so he could help. We all wanted to reach out to you. And I'm glad to say that with this outpouring of support, we have been able to accomplish mush, working with the people and government of Aceh.

Within a week of the tsunami, CRS began a massive effort to efficiently and effectively distribute desperately-needed relief supplies, such as food, tents and hygiene kits to more than 200,000 people. Within a few months, we constructed more than 2,000 temporary shelters to house families as they awaited completion of permanent homes.

But this immediate response was but a prelude to our long-term rebuilding effort. If you would allow me to borrow a phrase from our former president Bill Clinton, our goal was to "build back better." And I believe that is a goal we have achieved. For this, we have all of you who have worked together with us as partners to thank, including the Province of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, the Bureau for Rehabilitation and Reconstruction, the many kabupaten and district health offices where CRS worked, and of course the administration of the Banda Aceh Mother and Child Hospital.

If you would indulge me, I would like to share with all of you some of what has been accomplished over the past 4½ years.

First, we felt it was extremely important to give people who had lost their homes a place to live. To this day, we have constructed nearly 4,000 permanent homes that will provide a place to live more than 20,000 people. But these houses are more than just a place to live. Rich and poor, widows and widowers and orphans all received the same house and some villagers said the distinction between rich and poor has disappeared. They consider the house an asset that can be inherited by their children and a base for generating income, including using it as collateral for a microfinance loan, renting their houses, and running a business out of their homes.

In addition to building homes, we felt it was necessary to provide the infrastructure to support these newly built communities. For this reason, CRS, with support from BRR and local government, rehabilitated and, in many cases, reconstructed more than 300 community infrastructure projects, including piers, markets, bridges, roads, schools and clinics. In addition, we constructed 13 central markets, where we are able to support fruit, vegetable and fish vendors and help keep a market-driven economy in motion.

One more focus we felt was important was the health of the people of Aceh. We embarked on many projects to improve the quality of water and sanitation, which will preserve the health of communities. We helped to build and rehabilitate numerous health centers, and we trained 2,250 community health workers in 273 villages across five districts who will provide health services to more than 80,000 Acehnese. In addition, we mobilized community health workers to participate fully in community health interventions, and learn about basic prevention and management of diseases for children and pregnant women.

But the jewel of our efforts to rebuild the infrastructure and improve the health of the Acehnese is this Banda Aceh Mother and Child Hospital, whose second wing we are here to dedicate today.

This hospital is impressive in many ways. First, it is impressive as a fully professional, equipped and staffed medical facility in the heart of Banda Aceh dedicated to the care of mothers and children. The first phase, which includes an emergency room, clinics, and an administration area, was completed four years ago. Phase II, which we are here to dedicate today, adds approximately 3,000 square meters of new floor area to the hospital. It includes a Polyclinic OBGYN, a dental clinic, an operating room, in-patient wards with 37 beds, laboratory and kitchen. CRS also provided a package sewage treatment system, medical waste incinerator, emergency water storage tanks, a fire protection system and water storage tanks.

But this facility is also impressive for what it represents. Women and children are key to the future of our society and our world. Healthy women who give birth to healthy children will give our next generation a better chance to thrive.

And this hospital is also a tangible symbol of our connection to you. We were brought together in tragedy, but we will remain bonded as one human family in hope for a better tomorrow.

In closing, I would like to thank you for your friendship. And I would like to thank you for allowing us to accompany you as we have worked together to overcome the challenges we have faced over these last several years.

Thank you and best wishes for the future.