Mentawai Project

The Bukit Lawang Trust donated the $1700.00 US Dollars it had raised to the HELP MENTAWAI PROJECT 2010 and joined forces with Christie Carter and Alice Trend from Wavepark Mentawai, who had been collecting funds since the tsunami in October 2010. As well as clothes and school supplies, we distributed cash to the families that had been affected just before Christmas 2010. After much debate, it was decided that as each families situation was unique and different, cash would be the best option. Each family were therefore able to decide their own needs best, and with Christmas coming up, could maybe also afford a present or two and something nice to eat. The rest was mostly to be spent on building materials, but as each house was in a completely different state they could do their own assessments. Report below from Christie Carter from Wavepark Mentawai.

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There is a video of the project at the bottom of this page.

REPORT FROM CHRISTIE CARTER FROM WAVEPARK MENTAWAI:

We lucked out with a tail wind for the four hour drive to Katiet on the first day.  After months of bad weather, we continued to hear throughout the trip how lucky we were with the weather conditions.  We had a great meeting with Tom, Matt and Andrew from Surf Aid on the first night. They helped us with some local knowledge and tips for in the field.  We caught a 15kg spanish mackerel that first night and ate like kings for the next couple days.  The second day was focused on surveying and notifying the four villages that we hoped to donate to over the coming days.  Amazingly all the village chiefs were present and happy to oblige our written requests.  Our letter presented to the villages stated that for the coming days we would be visiting two villages each day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.  We hoped that the mothers of each household would be present to accept a donation from us, and if there was no mother of the family, it was would be fine for the father to take the donation.

The distribution of the donations over the third and fourth days was about as smooth as is to be expected from people who have been devastated by a tsunami. They are also busily setting up temporary shelters in the hills around what is left of their old villages.  The Mentawai government has made some pretty big promises to the people that are willing to pack up and move to another new village at higher altitude. Rumors were rife of three bedroom houses completely furnished being given away WITH all utility bills being paid for the first 3 years!  Yeah right.

Overall, I was amazed at the resilient spirit of the people that we encountered, and although there was still a lot of sadness and tears, there was also a determination to make something good come of the terror in the night.  Entire villages were working hand in hand to clear paths and new housing sites. In two of the larger villages, it looked as if the local ladies were having a competition to see who could make their makeshift kitchen the neatest, cleanest and stylish with what they had available.

Although we hummed and hawed from the beginning about giving away cash in the hand, it really was the right decision.  Coming up on Christmas, with 90% of these communities Christian, it seemed to me that the money was going to go a long way for a couple of reasons:  1)  For the first time since the disaster, I get the feeling that with the money we gave them, families might finally be able to buy what they want, not just what they need.  This is a huge emotional achievement in post-disaster, to realize that you've made it, you've survived.  Sure you can live with those rags on your back (it is the tropics after all), but everybody wants to look good going to church on Christmas day, and the kids would love to have a Christmas present that came from outside the village.  2)  I also realized during the trip that there was an undocumented stress on these families because they are piding their time and focus on finding enough to eat AND building temporary and, in many cases, new permanent shelters.  Half of their day is just finding enough food, and the rest they're focusing on their construction.  I think the money they received from you will give them some breathing room to be able to focus on the construction of their new accommodation, instead of always thinking about where the next meal will come from.