Handing over homes

It was just what I had been hoping for! A bright sunny day with just a few wispy clouds in the sky. It was February 24, 2009, the day the Canadian Red Cross was going to officially hand over 68 homes to villagers in Mata Ie, Calang.

I checked in early with the pilot to make sure nothing would delay the planes bringing our guests to the remote destination, and was given two thumbs up.

The troupe of young dancers was ready, outfitted in their brightest finery, waiting at the archway to the village for the delegation to arrive. Canadian Red Cross Secretary General Conrad Sauvé, and Canadian Ambassador, His Excellency John Holmes, arrived with Indonesian Red Cross (Palang Merah) and local government officials. Children from the village held on tightly to their puppets, anxious to deliver their show on proper hygiene to the crowd. The marble plaque was signed. A large red symbolic key handed over. The houses were blessed, and tours were given. The day ended with everyone sharing a lunch of goat curry and rice.

This day belonged to the villagers. You see, these people have been through quite the ordeal. Like hundreds of thousands of others, they survived the tsunami of December 26, 2004. Their village though was wiped out and had to be moved, four kilometers inland, further away from the Indian Ocean. Think about that; your entire community having to pick up and move to a new location. A neighbouring village came to the rescue, donating land on which they could settle. You know that old saying about what goes around comes around? Well, the villagers of Mata Ie passed on the graciousness they had received, and in turn, welcomed close to 100 villagers displaced from their own communities.

68 light green houses with the distinctive red roofs of the Canadian Red Cross now sit on these 26 hectares of land. More than 220 people call this village home. They’re proud of their homes. They’re excited about living in them. They can’t thank Canada enough for helping them out in their time of need. Because of that generosity, they haven’t had to worry about where or what they are going to live in. And that has allowed them the freedom to focus on earning a living. Many have returned to their lives as small business owners, farmers and fishermen. It’s a community that is on the verge of thriving once again.

The residents of Mata Ie were impressive in their efforts to make sure this event was a success. They got involved from the beginning, and celebrated long after we had left. And for me, it meant that all of the planning, all of the running around, all of the ‘waking up in the middle of the night’ worrying if it was all going to get done; it was all worth it.

Written by Kathy Mueller