Wednesday May 24, 2006
Brighter life for Aceh orphans By NELSON BENJAMIN A Banda Aceh resident washing his hands with well water at his village. Due to the lack of fresh water after the 2004 tsunami, many people were forced to dig wells to get clean water. W HEN the tsunami hit the shores of Aceh after 8am on December 26 two years ago, it left a trail of destruction in terms damage to property and loss of thousands of lives. The tidal waves orphaned thousands of children; many watching in helplessness as their parents and loved ones were dragged away by the receding waves. One orphaned child, eight-year-old Dokiapriryanda , affectionately known as Oki, will never forget that day as the killer waves washed away his whole family, relatives and friends from his fishing village located in a low-lying area along the coast. Oki said he was playing outside his home when he heard shouts that rising waves were coming from the sea. I just managed to run some distance when I too was washed away by the swirling and murky water, he said, adding that he managed to stay afloat by clinging to a piece of floating wood. Oki said he had been adrift for some time before a wooden raft came by and he was rescued. That was the last time he saw his parents and younger brother. When I was in the water I saw dead bodies and animal carcasses floating everywhere, said Oki in between sobs. Another orphan Muklis Sofiyan Sarong, 11, said his mother and elder brother were killed by the waves. All I can remember is my mother telling me to take my bicycle and get as far away as possible from the village. I managed to peddle all the way to the town and took shelter in a mosque, said the thin and lanky lad. Sulaiman Hassan leading the children in reciting the Quran at Asramah Anak Yatim Johor di Aceh. After going hungry for days as he did not have money, he took up peeling potatoes and tapioca at a shop in exchange for food. He was forced to peel hundreds of potatoes and tapioca daily. This went on for weeks until a relative spotted him and sent him to an orphanage. Like Oki and Muklis, many Acehnese orphans now look forward to a brighter future as non-governmental organisations from various countries in the region including Malaysia have come forward to set up orphanages to house and educate them One such home is the newly-built Asramah Anak Yatim Johor in Aceh built by the Johor Government at a cost of RM1mil. The orphanage is home to Muklis, Oki and 21 other boys aged between eight and 11 years. The two-storey orphanage, which has a library, computer room, playroom, dormitories, dining hall, kitchen and an office, was completed in September last year and opened by Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman recently. For 75-year-old Sulaiman Hassan, who is tasked with running the orphanage, dealing with orphans is nothing new as he had been involved in running orphanages in Johor for many years. Initially, our most arduous task was to get these traumatised children used to the new atmosphere, routines and discipline at the home here, he said, adding that several Indonesian teachers were employed to take care of the children. Sulaiman, a Malaysian, said the childrens daily routine started as early as 5am when they wake up, take their baths and recite the Quran before going to school. Initially, when they came to us, they did not know how to write their names and could only converse in Bahasa Indonesia, he said, adding that the students were progressing well, especially after going to school and being tutored at the orphanage. Sulaiman stressed that the orphanage was equipped with six computers and the children were also taught to read and write in English. We have opened special bank accounts for each of the students to enable private and public donations to be placed in their names, he said, adding that the children could use the money later to further their studies or set up a home of their own when they leave. On the teachers at the home, Sulaiman said that most of the Indonesian teachers had worked in orphanages in Malaysia and decided to come back to Aceh after the tsunami. For teacher Wirdah Ali, 33, who also takes care of the homes accounts, a basic knowledge in accounting has proved useful in keeping tabs on each rupiah spent. Wirdah said that most of the allocations from the donations was spent in buying provisions, which was done at least three times a week. Prices here can vary as beef can cost up to 90,000 rupiah (RM37) per kg, she said, adding that fish was the cheapest at between 20,000 rupiah (RM8.25) to 30,000 rupiah (RM12.30) per kg. For Oki, who wants to be a pilot when he grows up, living at the orphanage was fun, especially with so many friends to play with. I miss my family, but its nice being here as I get to go to read and write. The food here is also good, he said with a smile. Mulkis, who is undecided on whether to be a doctor, pilot or sailor, said he still missed his mothers daily hugs and kisses. http://article.wn.com/link/WNAT5b048a6e35f0c71315667f1ce1c31e41?source=upge&template=indonesiapost/headlines.txt ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Protect your PC from spy ware with award winning anti spy technology. It's free. http://us.click.yahoo.com/97bhrC/LGxNAA/yQLSAA/uTGrlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Post message: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe : [EMAIL PROTECTED] List owner : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/ Yahoo! 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