Our action today
- Continuing our action in Indonesia in 2006
- Our action in Indonesia in 2005

Find out more :
- Read our special report "Earthquake in Java" (in French)
- Read our special report "Tsunami in Sumatra"

SOLIDARITES' team in Indonesia
Our Indonesian team consists of 10 expatriate volunteers, including 2 hydraulics experts.
SOLIDARITES has two bases in Sumatra, Indonesia :
- one support base (essential for coordination, contacts with local authorities, supplies and logistics) in Medan, a major town situated on the East coast, in the North of Sumatra;
- an operational base in Meulaboh, on the West coast. This operational base allows SOLIDARITES to carry out operations in the devastated coastal zone on both sides of Meulaboh.

Our aim is to provide aid to populations affected by the earthquake, as well as to populations who have suffered from years of armed conflict (rebellion by the Free Aceh Movement "GAM"). This aid covers the districts of Aceh Barat, Pidie and Nagan Rayan in Aceh province (40,000 beneficiaries), as well as the districts of Lolofitu-Moï, Mandrehe and Hiliduo on Nias Island (20,000 beneficiaries). Nias is a small island situated off the West coast of Sumatra, which was hit by an earthquake on 28 March 2005, leaving 1100 people dead and many thousands homeless.

Taking into consideration the needs identified during our previous assessment, our action will continue to focus on making drinking water points available (drilling, building and rehabilitating wells, fitting out springs), on providing basic hygiene facilities (building public and family latrines, distributing hygiene kits, training sessions concerning elementary hygiene practices).

Water
In partnership with Aquassistance (a voluntary association within the Suez Group), SOLIDARITES installed a water purification plant in CotMe camp, providing drinking water for the whole camp (around 700 people).

Sanitation
During the month of January 2005, SOLIDARITES built latrines in camps providing refuge for populations whose villages had been totally destroyed by the tidal wave. This programme recently ended, since these populations have now returned to their villages.

Emergency programme for displaced populations

Project duration: 28 January 2005 - 27 January 2006 (12 months)

Objectives : this project aims to provide emergency aid in the fields of drinking water (drilling wells to reach the non-polluted water table) and sanitation (building latrines, hygiene awareness campaign, and rubbish collection in refugee camps).

This project involves:
- installing 100 public latrines and 150 family latrines
- installing 75 latrines in schools
- rehabilitating 2 to 400 latrines
- building or rehabilitating 83 wells

Progress: drilling work and latrines construction has been underway for several months in villages, schools, dispensaries and refugee camps, including drilling between 50 and 100 metres deep.

Results: 80 out of 83 wells have been built or rehabilitated (14910 beneficiaries). 70/100 public latrines have been built (near mosques); 142/150 family latrines built; 160 latrines in camps; 117 latrines built in schools (75 were originally planned); 20/20 latrines in medical centres. Total : 11533 beneficiaries.

87/100 volunteers received training in 10 villages to carry out maintenance on drinking water facilities (wells, washing areas...): 3 water management committees were organised. 800 children have participated in hygiene awareness sessions.

Programme to reconstruct / réhabilitate educational and medical infrastructure

Project duration : 15 May - 31 December 2005 (8 months)

Objectives: Enable children affected by the Tsunami and the earthquake to resume school attendance as soon as possible. This project involves:
- rehabilitating 29 schools
- rebuilding 12 new schools
- rehabilitating 7 dispensaries

Progress: The first school rehabilitated by SOLIDARITES was inaugurated by the local authorities on Monday 16 May. Rehabilitation work at the other schools is in progress. 18 schools are in the final phases of rehabilitation. 5 medical centres are in the process of being rehabilitated. 9 schools are completed (rehabilitation), enabling 2852 children to attend school in new buildings.

Programme to rehabilitate agricultural systems damaged by the tsunami

Duration: June - December 2005 (7 months)

Objectives: Enabling the resumption of agricultural activities (rice cultivation) by clearing and draining land which was polluted by salt water and all sorts of debris, and by distributing agricultural fertilizers. Around 700 hectares are covered by this programme. To date, 45 km of drainage canals have been dug in Nagan Rayan and Aceh Barat districts (north of Meulaboh).