A New Blueprint: Fusing Cultural Preservation with Disaster Relief By Jason Rush

When one of the most powerful earthquakes of the past century rocked the Indonesian island of Nias in March 2005, resident Maeli Dakhi was initially relived that he and his family had survived. The quake killed hundreds and flattened thousands of buildings, but Mr. Maeli’s traditional, wooden "omo" home held up better than most modern structures, sparing his family.

Few in Nias escaped the effects of this humanitarian emergency, however, including Mr. Maeli’s family. His house, along most of those in his native village of Bawogosali, was severely damaged and no longer inhabitable, and his family had to live in a makeshift tent for over half a year.

Bawogosali was a remote, isolated village even before the earthquake struck. The quake cut of the village’s supply lines, and with no available means of selling or buying goods, Mr. Maeli's family could not longer afford to eat well.

"We had to eat anything we could find," he says, "like unripe bananas. We almost never had meat."

"Those first six months were hard," he says. "No home, almost no food, and there were lots of earthquakes, which made everyone afraid."

Mr. Maeli and his neighbors also worried whether they would ever be able to return to their beautiful, traditional homes again.

Traditional stilted row houses are a distinguishing feature of southern Nias villages. Their steep roofs and V-shaped columns give homes the look of large ships’ bows. The houses are built side-to-side along a single cobblestone walkway that forms the heart of every village.

"Our home has a special value for us that we want to protect," says Mr. Maeli. "Each part of the home has a special purpose for us."

ADB engaged renowned Indonesian architect Johan Silas to lead its housing reconstruction effort in Nias. Instead of focusing relief efforts on more easily accessible areas of the island, ADB's exploratory team identified some of the most isolated and worst-affected villages through satellite imagery, then visited several remote communities, making the final leg of the trip on foot, over rugged terrain.

"We weren't just focused on rebuilding homes, but on preserving communities, on helping to maintain these ancient villages' culture," says Mr. Silas.

With many villages nestled many miles away from the nearest country road, the lack of easy access presented a major challenge to reconstruction efforts.

"We wondered if we could really pull this off, but the people said yes, we can do it, just give us the resources and we'll do the rest," says Mr. Silas. "And they did."

The first step of the reconstruction process was taking time to meet with affected families, to ensure that assistance was specifically tailored to each village's needs. Based on this community input, ADB made community contracting a major cornerstone of its reconstruction effort in Nias.

"These families had built their own houses, and knew how to do most of the repairs," says Mr. Silas. "The main thing they lacked was resources, and that's where we came in."

ADB provided US$ 73 million to support the construction and repair of over 7,000 homes in Nias and nearby Aceh, which was devastated by the 2004 tsunami. In Nias, 700 [needs to be verified] traditional omo homes are in the final stages of reconstruction.

"ADB has assumed a leading role in preserving Nias' rich architectural heritage by supporting the reconstruction of traditional omo houses," says Pieter Smidt, Head of ADB's Extended Mission in Sumatera. "It is a unique feature of our reconstruction program of Aceh and Nias.

Merging Modernity with Tradition

"We have ensured that the rehabilitated homes retain their traditional character, while allowing some modifications, like modern roofing materials and earthquake-proofing measures, to enhance the safety and livability of the houses," says Mr. Silas.

"We didn't only want to return these villages to their previous state, but rather add something new to help bring them forward," adds Mr. Silas. "We've helped preserve their heritage, but with a forward-looking perspective."

By fusing cultural preservation with disaster relief, ADB was able to provide needed assistance while protecting Nias' irreplaceable cultural treasures.

"By keeping my home I'm keeping my promise to my forefathers," Mr. Maeli says. "It shows them our gratitude."

"Just as my parents asked me to preserve our traditional home, I also ask my children to do so. This home is my children's inheritance, and preserving it gives me confidence that they will preserve our traditions."

Life for Mr. Maeli and his family is still far from easy. His wife and son still toil in the tropical heat each day tapping rubber trees, and the family still ekes out a humble existence, especially as the global price of rubber continues to fall.

Despite these ongoing challenges, Mr. Maeli says he feels content. "At least now we don’t have to worry about where we live, and can focus on making a living."