Indonesia

In 2006, we were involved in humanitarian aid in Indonesia, which was hit by a series of natural disasters. As part of the SOS Asia collection, we raised 4.5 million Slovak crowns, which we directed to the Aceh province of Sumatra, one of the most affected areas. As the situation in this province was complicated and uncertain for foreign workers, we decided to cooperate with the local organization INSIST. This organisation, bringing together a number of local partners, enabled us to respond operationally, including during the earthquake that hit Java in May.

In Sumatra, we completed the construction of 12 brick and timber houses in the village of Meunasah Blang in early 2006. Due to the high number of construction activities by other donors, we decided to focus on supporting the socio-economic development of the people in the affected areas. In Mon Ikeun village, we supported entrepreneurship training and provided micro-loans to women who wanted to engage in service businesses or sell goods. In Lama Muda village, we financed the construction of large fishing boats and dinghies, and each family received 10 poultry for home rearing.

In Java, we assisted victims by building temporary houses for the most socially vulnerable groups – widows, the elderly and the disabled in 13 villages in the Bantul and Klaten districts. At the same time, we built temporary schools that also served as community centres for residents, supporting community planning and organising earthquake relief work. We also funded the construction of three public sewage sanitation systems that helped prevent soil contamination and the spread of infections.

In 2007, we continued our post-humanitarian relief efforts in partnership with local organizations YPRI and INSIST. We built a health centre in Sri Hardon village and a community centre in Ngandong village. In addition, we funded the construction of five public sewage sanitation systems, which are a source of energy – biogas, and provided training for their maintenance. We have also conducted training activities on community development planning in seven villages.