December Marked with House Dedications in Indonesia ***HFH Singapore’s Patron Visits Sites Where 3,000 Homes Are Planned -- Habitat for Humanity Int'l 1
December 30, 2005December Marked with House Dedications in Indonesia ***HFH Singapore’s Patron Visits Sites Where 3,000 Homes Are Planned
BANDA ACEH, 30th December 2005: Habitat for Humanity and partner donors hosted a series of house dedications in Aceh province, Indonesia, during December in which more than 300 tsunami-affected families received new houses.
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New stable lives: against a backdrop of new Habitat houses, a traditional dance is performed to welcome guests to the house dedication in Pante Tengoh community, Sigli.
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Ceremonies were held in each of the three areas where Habitat is operating: North Aceh, in Sigli; West Aceh in Meulaboh and Blang Dalam; and three villages in Banda Aceh.
“We cannot bring back what these families lost, but with permanent housing we can help them to return to a stable life so that they can build a future,” said Leonilo (Tots) Escalada, project director for Habitat’s tsunami reconstruction in Indonesia.
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From the people of Singapore: S Dhanabalan, patron of HFH Singapore, hands over a symbolic house key at a ceremony in Meulaboh, Indonesia, in which tsunami-affected families received new houses built by Habitat. Below, touring Meulaboh are (center front) project manager Tommy Pacatang, Dhanabalan, Hosea Lai from HFH Singapore, and Handoko Ngadiman, national director of HFH Indonesia.
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On 15th December, the focus was on Meulaboh on the west coast. The patron of HFH Singapore, S Dhanabalan, a former cabinet minister, represented the people of Singapore whose donations to the Singapore Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity Singapore will fund the construction of 3,000 houses in four tsunami-ravaged districts.
A dedication ceremony was held in the village of Langung where three of 30 new homeowners symbolically received ‘keys’ to their homes. Dhanabalan also visited the village of Meureubo where 70 houses are in the final stages of completion.
The people of Singapore donated about S$14.3 million (nearly US$8.7 million) to the Singapore Red Cross, which will pay four-fifths of the costs for Habitat tsunami projects in western Aceh.
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One more home: The Syarifudin Hasan family receives a symbolic key to their house during a dedication ceremony in Sigli.
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In Sigli on 20th December, a ceremony was held to mark the dedication of 175 houses in three villages, Lampoeih Krueng, Kramat Luar and Pante Tengoh.
Djalaluddin Harun, district vice chairman, thanked Habitat for Humanity on behalf of the community and recognized Habitat as the non-governmental organization that has built the most houses for tsunami-affected families in Pidie district. Donor representatives were on hand from the Young Presidents’ Organization of Indonesia and Outback Steak House.
During December, Habitat houses were turned over to families in Emperom, Tibang and Mulia, three villages in Banda Aceh.
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Financial muscle: representatives of Bank Danamon, Citibank, Citigroup and Bank of Indonesia sign a poster wishing “new hope” to the families of Tibang, Banda Aceh, were their combined funding will build 500 of 1,000 new houses.
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A poster signifying “New Hope” was the centerpiece of the closing ceremony on 21st December at Tibang. Before being presented to the community, the poster was signed by representatives of Habitat for Humanity, the government reconstruction authority, Badan Rekonstruksi dan Rehabilitasi, and a consortium of donor banks that included Danamon, Citigroup and Bank Indonesia. Community members welcomed visitors to visit the new houses, the source of their new hope.
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