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Communities Lead Their Recovery
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Photo: USAID/Betina Moreira
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Women in Lhoong were employed to clear a field for cultivation under a cash-for-work program intended to help tsunami-affected communities recover.
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Mawardi is a fisherman from Lamteungoh, an Indonesian coastal community devastated by the December 2004 tsunami. He finally made it home after spending two days floating on a palm tree at sea. His wife and kids were not as lucky.
Only a tenth of this village survived the killer wave. Despite their grief, Mawardi and the rest of his community, are determined to rebuild and revive their home. As part of a USAID-supported cash-for-work community recovery program, Lamteungoh residents have cleared and fenced a field where they can cultivate fruits and vegetables until they are able to acquire new fishing boats. They are also erecting a community center where they can gather to plan reconstruction efforts, a recreational area for kids, and a community kitchen.
USAID support is empowering 53 area communities to lead the reconstruction process and work with donors and local governments to develop practical development plans that reflect the aspirations of each community.
In Lhoong, a west coast sub district that lost 85 percent of its residents, 3,500 people are clearing irrigation canals and more than 1,800 acres of land to replant crops for consumption and sale. Mr. Abasali, the head of Lhoong's six villages, said, "Tell the American people we say thank you for giving us the resources and hope to rebuild and eventually be independent."
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