By Rebecca Young
Among the many earthquake survivors lining up to receive food at an ACT International post in the remote village of Pasir Lawas, in Padang Pariaman, two women in particular stand out. Desmawati and Mesraini are both heavily pregnant. When the earthquake hit, both were at home with their children, while their husbands worked in the rice fields. Mesraini was inside her house, having just had a late afternoon bath. As soon as the earthquake hit, she called for her six children and ran out into the yard. Not long afterwards, her husband arrived home to check on the family. Desmawati was already out in the yard of her home relaxing and watching her two young children play. Her husband also quickly came home to see his family. Both families' houses are badly damaged, such that they are no longer able to sleep inside. They cook, eat and sleep in makeshift shelters in their front yards.
Before the ACT International distribution, Pasir Lawas had received only a couple of distributions of rice. No one had received any tents or tarpaulins, even though nearly everyone's house sustained damage. A health team had visited them but because everyone lives in fairly simple houses of only one storey, all were able to get out with few injuries.
Because of a generous donation from the Korean Presbyterian Church that was given through the ACT International humanitarian relief post in Padang, the village received its first substantial delivery of aid. Exactly a week after the disaster, the people of Pasir Lawas were understandably excited to see the huge truck full of supplies pull into their village. In total they received 334 packets of food that included rice, cooking oil, noodles and other basic staples, and 150 tarpaulins for people whose houses were the most badly damaged.
The ACT International distribution means Desmawati and Mesraini will soon welcome their two newest family members into safer and healthier conditions than existed a week ago. Although they can not say thank you in any of the donors' languages, their sincerely-expressed "Terima Kasih" in bahasa Indonesia says it all: Receive love.
Rebecca Young is reporting from the Yayasan Tanggul Becana de Indonesia, in West Sumatra.
ACT International has issued a $2.75 million preliminary appeal to support responses by ACT members Church World Service Indonesia and Yakkum Emergency Unit. This appeal is expected to be re-issued to also include responses by Yayasan Tanggul Bencana di Indonesia, Lutheran World Relief and Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, implementing through local partners, this week.
