Tsunami Response

The tragic morning tsunami waves ripped through the village of Meunasah Tuah, they left little more than devastation in their wake.

"The water was as high as the coconut trees," says Mohamed Zein, who lost his wife an every member of his immediate family, save one brother, to the waters' violent torrents.

Mohamed Zakir is making ends meet rearing goats provided by ADB.

Only 170 of the village's 3,000 families had any surviving members, and every last family suffered the loss of a loved one. Not a single family survived intact.

Amidst the vestiges of this once-crowded village, where the ragged foundations of homes still litter the landscape, families are slowly piecing back together the remnants of their lives.

"The greatest gift we can give to these families who have already been through so much, is simply an opportunity to create a better and lasting future for themselves," says ADB Managing Director General Rajat Nag.

To this end, a key component of ADB's US$320 million assistance program for Aceh - the largest grant program in the Bank's history - is helping tsunami-affected families earn a living through farming and livestock rearing.

For Mohamed Zakir and his family, this has meant a chance to start their lives anew.

Mr. Zakir was at sea in his fishing boat when the tsunami struck. While his wife, Nurjanna, miraculously survived by clutching hold of a passing truck tire, the couple lost their only child to the tsunami's ferocious waters.

Like many men who once fished the rugged waters off of Aceh, Mohamed Zakir has lost his zeal for life at sea. Under this ADB-supported initiative, impoverished families receive training and support so they can earn a dependable living raising livestock.

Mohamed and Nurjanna say that now they have the resources they need to take care of their newborn son.

In Meunasah Tuah, 200 goats were divided amongst 25 of the community's neediest families, for them to breed and sell. Goat curry is one of Aceh's most popular dishes, and there's never a shortage of demand at local markets, meaning families can depend on a steady source of income.

The fact that Mr. Zakhir has been able to change his trade from fishing to goat breeding has also helped allay the worries of his wife, who says she never wants her husband, or their newborn son, to ever have to rely on the ocean for survival.

Although nothing can take away the pain Mohamed and Nurjanna continue to endure, the recent addition of a new family member, their 10-day-old son, Amirul Fitrah, is providing them with a source of joy, and they take comfort in the fact that they now have the resources they need to provide for their son.

"We hope life will become even better than before the tsunami," says Nurjanna, "and we'll keep striving to make a better life for ourselves than before."

As she nestles her newborn son in her arms, one can see that there are still signs of hope here, amidst the rubble, and kindness amidst the suffering.

"I [particularly] hope that we are successful with our new business, so we'll eventually be able to help other families in the village by providing them with baby goats for a new herd," says Nurjanna.

Kid goats are shared with other impoverished families to help them earn a better living.

Over the course of three years, the 25 families currently participating in the program will "repay" the goats they have received in-kind, ultimately allowing another 25 families from Meunasah Tuah to earn a better living as well. The first offspring of each litter is normally provided to these families, while the remaining offspring can be sold at market, or used to increase the owner's own herd.

Due to the cooperative nature of the enterprise, residents say the project is helping restore a sense of community here in Meunasah Tuah.

"Now we have become like one family," says Mohamed Zein.

While Aceh's road to recovery remains long, ADB's Pieter Smidt, who leads its recovery efforts in Aceh and Nias, says the dedication and persistence of Aceh's people is advancing reconstruction efforts on the ground, and signs of progress increasingly abound.

"By working in close cooperation with these resilient people and communities, and empowering them to forge a better future from their own initiative, we at ADB firmly believe that they will overcome the adverse circumstance they have been confronted with, and create a brighter tomorrow for themselves and their progeny," adds Mr. Smidt.