June 29th - Banda Aceh

I have had a very pleasant week.

To begin with, I enjoyed a relaxing weekend. On Saturday I went to Pantai Cemera, next to Lampuuk, not far from town, for a long walk along the beach (picture). It was wonderful; the beach is amazing and the waves can get pretty big. As it turns out, surfing is rather popular among Acehnese boys. It really is a shame that you have to swim in the ocean wearing trousers and a T-shirt because the ocean was actually very inviting. I also came across some monitor lizards on the way before winding up wandering around the remnants of what used to be a village. As you can see in the picture, everything is now covered by vegetation. I still find it strange being in the area that was hardest-hit by the Tsunami and witnessing the aftermath with my own eyes, the sheer force of the wave is truly mind-blowing. That evening I went to a colleague’s birthday party, which was fun. On Sunday I slept in, read a couple of IRC reports and took a long nap in order to be wide awake for the Portugal – Netherlands World Cup game at two in the morning. Our team may not have won but it was definitely worth getting up for; with 16 cards we at least set a new record!

Next, I spent Monday through Thursday going to the field every day. On Monday I accompanied one of the Community Driven Regeneration (CDR) teams to Lambaro Neujid where they performed a number of participatory activities with the community members. They mapped the community (community mapping) and all its institutions (institutional mapping – picture) and carried out a gender balance exercise in order determine the roles and responsibilities of men and women. It was very exciting. Unfortunately, however, the language barrier made it difficult for me to be more involved in the facilitation process. On Tuesday I joined a team of engineers going to Lhok Seudu and Layeun to assess the suitability of a water source for a water system and on Wednesday I went with another CDR team to Bireuk to help the community prioritise their problems.

On Thursday I spoke with a few beneficiaries about a Quick Impact Programme (QIP) in Lhok Seudu, a small coastal village. QIPs are programmes designed to assist households, groups or an entire community to recover livelihoods and re-establish local economies. The beneficiaries receive a cash grant to implement various projects. During my orientation I will be looking at a number of old QIPS to gauge their sustainability. In Lhok Seudu the community chose to use the money to build a palong, a traditional fishing boat (see the big blue boat in the picture). Since the grant alone was not sufficient to cover all the expenses, the community has made an appreciable contribution to the costs. This stimulates a sense of sense of ownership, a key ingredient for the sustainability of the project. According to the agreement with the IRC, the proceeds of the palong should be split in two: half for the crew and the other half going to the community. The money for the community would be used to fund community projects. Three months after the implementation of the QIP in Lhok Seudu, I went to see whether the project is running as it was intended to. The weather permitting, the palong goes out to sea six nights a week with a crew of seven or eight. The fishermen are generally satisfied with the catches. They sell the fish to the community members and what is left over is sold at the market. As agreed, the fishermen keep half of the profits while the other half goes into a fund for community projects. Of the 50 percent for the fishermen, the captain of the palong takes ten and the remaining 40 percent is divided among the rest of the crew and of the 50 percent for the community, the treasurer keeps ten and 40 percent goes into the community fund. Everyone consents to this arrangement. In three months time, the palong has yielded a net sum of 35 million Rupiah (almost 3.700,- USD, approximately 2.800,- EUR) for the community; a sizeable amount. The money will be used to buy land so that each household can own its own propriety.

Finally, I experienced my first earthquake in Banda Aceh at 6:20 this morning. The quake was (unofficially) estimated to have reached 4.8 or 4.9 on the Richter scale. It is a good thing I happened to be awake at that time because I think I would have slept right through it otherwise. Still, it was the most violent quake I have ever experienced. It is an odd feeling. Also, today is the first day since my arrival that it has not rained!

June 23rd - One and a half year after the Tsunami

My first week in Banda Aceh was, to say the least, interesting. I have received a warm welcome and made myself at home in my guesthouse which, in many ways, is more comfortable than I had anticipated. Johnny, from logistics and Martin, Child Youth Protection and Development (CYPD) are my English housemates. On Monday I met all the Banda Aceh main office and field office staff. Everyone is really friendly and helpful. Just about everyone has told me about what a wonderful, dedicated and ambitious team they have here. I am already convinced that I am going to enjoy my stay here and that it will be an enriching experience, on both professional and personal levels.

I have spent this week sorting out all the necessary administrative issues and started to immerse myself in the IRC programme. To familiarise myself with the Integrated Community Programs (ICPs) and gain a proper understanding of the context in which they are being implemented, I have taken any opportunity to go into the field in and around Banda Aceh. The coming weeks I will have the opportunity to do more of the same in Banda Aceh, as well as in Calang, Teunom en Meulaboh, the three other project areas, each with its own field office (see the map below). My tasks for the moment consist of reading, observing, listening and asking questions. In addition, I will be speaking with a number of beneficiaries in order to gauge the sustainability of some Quick Impact Projects (QIPs).

But I want to devote this log to Banda Aceh itself. I was unable to get a clear picture of what the situation here would be like and family, friends and acquaintances have asked me many questions about it. So it seems fitting to write about it now.

To begin with, I have to admit that the situation in Banda Aceh is considerably better than I had expected. The darker picture I had in my mind was largely the result of conversations I had with people who have been here shortly after the Tsunami, in the emergency phase, and because of interviews I had with the IRC headquarters in New York. But I can hardly complain about it; I had braced myself for the worst and was positively surprised upon arrival. Of course, the situation is still far from ideal but the numerous local and international NGOs have already accomplished a great deal. Nevertheless, while writing this I am bearing in mind that I have not any spent real time in the field yet; I imagine the circumstances there are quite different from Banda Aceh. I could have a much more balanced view after my field orientation.

While flying over Banda Aceh I still saw some of those brown streaks you could see in satellite photos taken right after the Tsunami struck. Most of these devastated areas, however, are now green with vegetation and/or rebuilt-on. Once on the ground, I was taken for a short guided tour around the affected parts of Banda Aceh (not the whole city was hit by the Tsunami). After all I had heard, seen and read about the Tsunami in the media it was really strange to actually be in the hardest-hit area. It was really peculiar. On the way from the airport to town you pass a mass grave; to think that so many people here were killed by a wave that, in some places, reached as high as 12 meters. It is impossible to imagine what that must have been like. I saw many ravaged houses, from the majority of which only the floor and foundations remain (see the picture of a swimming pool above). The quick tour also took me to the generator ship. The ship was swept five kilometers land inwards, where it settled in the centre of the city, in the middle of a busy road. This has become quite a tourist attraction in Banda Aceh. The Tsunami has also permanently changed the landscape in many places along the coast. The ground has sunk, allowing the ocean to claim more land and alter its currents (see the picture on the left). Entire villages have had to be relocated because their land now belongs to the ocean or has turned into a swamp.

Much has changed in Banda Aceh since last year. For one, the military pulled out towards the end of 2005, which considerably improved the atmosphere. One could say that there are no significant security issues in the city. Although on the rise, there is not much criminality; I can go out for a stroll in town at odd hours without having much to worry about. After having spent a few months in Nairobi this is a welcome change! Women, particularly western women, however, are advised against walking alone after nightfall, not so much because they run a high risk of being robbed or assaulted but rather because they might be harassed. In addition, Sharia law is in effect throughout Aceh. This imposes a number of restrictions, including a dress code and the prohibition of alcohol and pork. It is striking, though, that not all women wear a headscarf; some wear jeans and most drive motorcycles (but they generally do not smoke, as opposed to the men). On the one hand this gives the impression that the enforcement of the Sharia law is relatively flexible but on the other hand the Sharia police regularly checks up on couples and incidents have occurred in which women have been publicly punished in extremely degrading ways. Beside this, only earthquakes and tropical diseases, such as Malaria and Dengue form a health risk.

The living conditions are improving on a weekly basis. Roads that were previously closed have reopened, which is good news for the IRC as it no longer relies on helicopter flights to access the field offices. Moreover, the number of facilities in town is steadily rising, providing an increasing variety of goods and services. There are now more places to go to and more things to do; although the local food is fantastic, there is even a Kentucky Fried Chicken for the enthusiast!

Finally, Banda Aceh and its surroundings are quite scenic; green and dotted with beautiful beaches. The climate is tropical; close to 30 degrees Celsius all year round and humid, but not unbearably so. It should be dry now but it started raining on the evening of my arrival and it has not stopped since! Other than that, characteristics of Banda Atjeh are the mad traffic, consisting mainly of motorcycles, delicious food, the coffee shop culture (Banda Aceh is famous for its fine coffee) and of course the ever cheerful Acehnese.

June 15th - Destination Banda Aceh

Thursday evening, June 15th. The time has come. I have said my goodbyes to my family, friends and my fiancée and I am about to embark on a journey that will take me to Banda Aceh, Indonesia, where I will be working as Community Driven Regeneration (CRD) volunteer for the International Rescue Committee (IRC). This Blog is meant to keep family, friends, acquaintances and anyone else interested informed about my work, my experiences and my thoughts during my six months stay in Aceh.

Let me start by briefly introducing myself and my employer and by a providing a short description of the IRC programme in Indonesia as well as my function as CDR volunteer.

I have recently graduated as a sociologist at the Erasmus University of Rotterdam, with a specialisation in urban policy. Growing up, I have had the fortune of discovering different parts of the world. I was born in Bangladesh and I have lived in a number of countries in north-eastern Africa and in Geneva, Switzerland. Over the past couple of years I have taken a number of steps towards starting an international carrier in the field of development. I have worked for Oxfam Novib's Information and Service desk since 2002, which has helped me gain insight into the workings of an international development organisation. Moreover, by choosing relevant courses and writing about pertinent issues I have steered my study as much as possible in the direction of development studies. More importantly, I have followed a challenging internship programme in the South of Mozambique where I have conducted an academic research on the formation and functioning of Community Development Committees. Finally, I have spent the past months volunteering at the Oxfam Novib office in Nairobi, where my main task consisted of revising training materials used in the office's main capacity building programme; strengthening civil society in Somalia and Sudan.

The IRC is an international non-governmental organisation with a strong focus on refugees: it is a global leader in emergency relief, rehabilitation, protection of human rights, post-conflict development, resettlement services and advocacy for those uprooted or affected by conflict and oppression. The IRC has worked in Indonesia since 1999 in a consortium including, among others, Stichting Vluchteling (SV). Its presence in Indonesia is a result of the crisis caused by an economic crash in 1997, the 1998 fall of President Suharto, the subsequent conflicts in de Moluccas, Central Sulawesi in East Timor and the protracted conflict in Aceh between government troops and separatist fighters. In 2004, the IRC's programme was interrupted to provide emergency relief to the areas affected by the December 26th Tsunami. Now, a year and a half later, the emergency phase has shifted to reconstruction. The CDR programme forms the core of this new phase.

The CDR component, in my opinion, is the most interesting part of the IRC's entire programme. It clearly marks the transition from emergency relief to reconstruction: from implementing to facilitating the development process. The CDR programme seeks to empower local communities to assume responsibility for their own development. It places them in 'the driver's seat'. Active participation and social inclusion are central to this approach; they create a sense of ownership which, in turn, is crucial for the sustainability of the programme. The CDR programme consists of three stages: (1) the implementation of Quick Impact Programmes, (2) community mapping and (3) Integrated Community Programs (ICPs). The first two stages have been completed and the ICPs are now full on in progress. I will be writing more about the ICPs in the next logs; my function as CDR volunteer largely consists of monitoring these programmes.

Although the CDR programme receives funds from a number of public and private sources, SV is the main donor. SV shares the same mandate as the IRC; to assist those uprooted or affected by conflict and oppression. This Blog therefore also serves to inform SV donors on how their valuable contributions are spent.

That is all for my first log. Please do not hesitate to comment on my Blog or let me know if you have a suggestion to on how it can be improved. I will try to answer all your questions. I am counting on your feedback.