CRWRC Gets Funds for Indonesian Homes

Two European-based organizations have committed about $306,000 in USD to help the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee continue its work in West Sumatra, Indonesia, where families are continuing to recover from an earthquake.

ZOA refugee care and Word & Deed International are the organizations that have donated the funds for CRWRC to use in building or rebuilding homes for earthquake survivors.

The earthquake onSept. 30, 2009 took the lives of nearly 1,200 people. It also caused landslides and widespread damage to homes, schools, roads, hospitals, government buildings, power supplies, and water networks.

CRWRC was on the scene soon after the disaster struck. Its first response was to provide medical assistance to 1,443 individuals, emergency food and hygiene kits to 100 households, and two generators to restore electricity. This was done in partnership with local organizations SHEEP (Society for Health, Education, Sustainable Environment and Peacebuilding), Totalitas, and GKSBS (The Christian Church of Southern Sumatra).

In the next phase of its response, CRWRC distributed an additional 1,900 hygiene kits and is in the process of providing latrines and access to clean water to 470 people in two villages.

The third stage of the response is in providing permanent shelter for people impacted by the earthquake.

“The need for housing in Sumatra is great,” said CRWRC’s Senior Project Manager Grace Wiebe. “When the death toll following a disaster is relatively low like it was in this instance, the media and global community tend to move their attention on to other things. They overlook the many other needs that exist.”

In this case, she says, the quake caused extensive damage to housing. Nearly 200,000 homes are still in need of repair, but the international disaster response community only has funding to help with about 32 percent of the homes.

With its funding from ZOA and Word & Deed, CRWRC is building core homes for vulnerable families similar to the ones built by CRWRC following the 2004 South Asia tsunami. These core homes are built using earthquake resistant techniques and can be added to and expanded upon by the recipient families as their incomes allow. Two sample houses have already been completed, with 84 more currently under construction.

Additional support for this project is still needed. To make a donation, please give online: US | Canada

Checks marked "Indonesia Earthquake 2009" can be sent to

CRWRC-US
2850 Kalamazoo Ave SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49560
Ph: 1-800-55-CRWRC

CRWRC-Canada
3475 Mainway
P.O. Box 5070 STN LCD 1
Burlington, Ontario, L7R 3Y8
Ph: 1-800-730-3490