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Indonesia

Indonesia: Kuntoro visits Care's wooden house project in Simeulue

Jakarta, Indonesia-Relief - Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, the head of Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency for Aceh and Nias (BRR) visited houses built by Care International in village of Latiung, Teupah Selatan subdistrict, Simeulue Island. In Aceh, Care planned to build 8,000 houses, based on house prototype made in cooperation with GTZ of Germany.
According to Care Canada, the shelter program is guided by the principles that rebuilding must: be replicable and affordable; be rapid; offer choice; reinforce Government of Indonesia policies of safe building; be community-based; and be collaborative. The target is to build 8,000 houses over three years (December 2008) in 10 subdistricts.

CARE is working with GTZ to construct a prototype house frame that provides improved protection from floods and earthquakes. An initial 600 houses will be completed in the community of Lambaro Skep, Banda Aceh.

The shelter program will be financed by $76.7 million of tsunami aid that has been allocated for Indonesian tsunami victims. Care will focus its immediate and long-term relief in Banda Aceh, Aceh Besar, Aceh Singkil, and Simeulue. Care said it wouldn't involve directly in reconstruction efforts in Nias Island, but will support its partner that works in Nias. Care also had provided emergency relief after last March earthquake.

On its six-month tsunami report, Care reported that it raised 150.5-million tsunami aid, of which 50.1 came from supporters in US. Care allocated the tsunami aid to five worst affected countries: 11 percent for India, 6 percent for Somali, 4 percent for Thailand, 26 percent for Sri Lanka, and 53 percent for India.

In Indonesia, over the past six months, CARE has spent approximately $12 million reaching some 250,000 people with services and training to restore and/or provide water and sanitation, health and counseling services, shelter, cash-for-work activities and livelihood opportunities.

To provide a much-needed infusion of cash for out-of-work families, CARE has organized the equivalent of 68,580 days of employment for 2,321 households in 11 communities. The communities set work priorities, and much progress has been made in clearing land of debris and rehabilitating wells, drains, harbors, fields and irrigation systems.

Care has worked in Indonesia since 1967, maintaining good relations with the government. This relationship helped with Care's emergency response in the hard-hit province of Aceh, where previously Care had no presence. Care had a staff of 700 development professionals in Indonesia prior to the tsunami, yet none were based in Aceh. Since the tsunami, we have put 340 national staff and 24 international staff in the hardest-hit areas, and may hire additional staff to meet our commitments on the ground.

Care's proposed five-year plan for community redevelopment considers the range of elements - including food, shelter, health, water and sanitation, education, income, participation in civil society and decision making - that leave families vulnerable to chronic poverty, and will build on community-designed solutions.

Care approach will encompass the following components: provision of equipment and training to help people reclaim lost livelihoods; rebuilding homes; emergency preparedness and disaster risk reduction; workshops on gender discrimination and equity; development of local support and service organizations; democracy and good governance; and market access for poor and marginalized women and men. =A9 che