TSUNAMI PROJECT

Mercy Works Inc. and Jesuit Refugee Service

In January 2005 Mercy Works Inc connected with its long-term partner Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) to enquire how it could best assist people's affected by the recent tsunami. The Mercy Refugee Service, (MRS) has always been a partner of JRS. Over the past 24 years MRS has placed over 20 sisters and lay people in refugee camps in Asia, Africa and Latin America through JRS. Our first point of call was JRS Indonesia who had been one of the few agencies working in Aceh before the tsunami.

The December tsunami devastated an area reaching throughout Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and even Somalia. But it was Aceh, a small province on the northern tip of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, which bore the brunt of the deadly waves. The epicenter of the earthquake measuring 9.2 on the Richter scale was just miles from Aceh’s coastline. Six months later, the people of Aceh are working hard to rebuild their homes, schools, communities and lives.

JRS teams have been working continuously in partnership with the Acehnese people to ease the suffering of the people in the affected areas, by providing emergency food, cooking facilities, medical help and emergency shelter.

This work has included:

• Providing transportation to distribute food, fuel and office supplies to Banda Aceh
• Assisting people in remote camps in receiving information about aid distribution procedures and in transport
• Establishing medical services in coordination with local organisations
• Distributing supplies such as tents, kitchen implements, water purifiers, baby milk, sarongs, prayer mats and blankets
• Distributing school supplies to local schools

But there is more work to be done. Currently, JRS is working towards:

• Building homes for 116 families in Pulo Aceh
• Raising money so that homes can be built for 106 families in Lamsenia
• Building houses for students at an Islamic boarding school and mosques in Lamno, enabling young people to attend school and the community to practice their religion
• Building boats for the fishermen to return to their traditional livelihoods in Pulo Aceh and Aceh Besar
• Recruiting and training teachers and providing schools with necessary equipment such as books, sports equipment, shoes, uniforms and pencils.

Mercy Works Inc also worked in partnership with JRS and Caritas Australia to shore up the psychosocial response that Catholic agencies were providing in Aceh. The Executive Officer of Mercy Works Inc, Sr Maryanne Loughry worked in Banda Aceh in March 2005.

Mercy Works Inc. and Australian Volunteers International

Mercy Works Inc (MWI) through the Mercy Refugee Service and other programs has worked with Australian Volunteers International (AVI) for many years. In January 2005 the President of the Maldives asked the Prime Minister of Australia to help the Maldives after the tsunami of 26 December 2004. The Maldives needed teachers so that school children could start the school year on time after the tsunami destroyed many schools and some of the teachers had to return to their homes in Sri Lanka and India to help families.

AVI organised 15 teachers to start the new school year, at both secondary and primary levels. The first group of teachers were placed for 6 months, and we have been given an extension by the Australian Government so that six teachers can stay and help for the next 6 months.

The teachers are working on some of the atoll islands most affected by the tsunami, to help and assist local teachers with teaching-based rehabilitation for children and their families. A report from the tsunami assessed that 127 schools out of the total of 233 primary and secondary schools had been affected, across the 199 habitable islands.

The Australian volunteer teachers live and work alongside local teachers, sharing skills and contributing both to the school and broader community life wherever appropriate. The teachers have helped towards achieving a normal school routine for children and their families in such a short time after the tsunami. Their role extends far beyond teaching…they are counsellors, mentors and friends.

MWI in partnership with Australian schools is helping to raise support for the Maldives Teacher Project. Funds are being sought to help replace the equipment lost by the schools.