CHAPTER 3 : SECTOR-SPECIFIC RECOVERY AND CASE STUDY
3.2. Housing
3.2.1. Case Study 1: Community Participation in Rebuilding Homes (Case Study in Blang Oi Village,
Description Home Cake-Making Industry Acehnese Songket Weaving Industry
Brick Industry further training.
3. Business people’s suggestions for future assistance in developing small and medium-sized businesses (type, distribution systems, and continuity)
Further assistance is needed.
Aid should be given all at once, rather than in stages. If it is given a little at a time, businesses cannot buy expensive equipment. If respondents could have bought larger-scale equipment, a large numbers of cakes could have been produced, not only to fulfill the orders of individual customers, but also to supply local cafes.
Aid should be accompanied by trainings in bookkeeping and packaging, and inclusion in exhibitions as a platform for product promotion.
The most-needed form of aid for the weavers is marketing. In addition, there is a need for training regarding the use of the Internet, so that websites can be used for marketing. Fashion designer Thomas Sigar once ordered woven cloth from the respondents, but there have been no further orders.
If the government wants to develop the weaving industry, the best way is to train people who want to work as weavers and give adequate monetary aid to buy equipment that is up to standards.
Funds and trainings based on the needs of entrepreneurs, and mentoring.
Forming groups of brick-makers and acknowledgement by the village
government[Meaning in this context is unclear.].
Continuous training is needed that is in accordance with the needs of businesspeople.
Funding should be given to experienced businesspeople.
A strong legal cooperative and supervisory organization are needed for both aid and sales.
Aid should only be given to entrepreneurs with experience, so that new businesses do not disturb the balance between production and demand, which drives down the market price of bricks.
Figure 3.7 Map of Meuraxa sub-district Recovery Status
Living Conditions in Blang Oi Before, Immediately After, and After the Tsunami
In 2004, Blang Oi had a population of 3,984 people under 874 heads of household (kepala keluarga or KK).The conditions before the tsunami indicate that Blang Oi was doing well. Every resident lived in a home with measurements ranging from 36 m2 to > 45 m2.The livelihoods of the population varied, from public servants to private employees in various fields. The conditions of the structures and infrastructure in the village were good: access roads were paved, drainage systems were organized, clean water was provided by PDAM, well water was not salty, electricity and telephone connections from Telkom were available, and there was a sewage system in every home.
The earthquake and tsunami that occurred on 26 December 2004 destroyed Blang Oi along with the rest of Meuraxa sub-district. Since Meuraxa sub-district is close to the ocean, all of its villages sustained heavy damage, including Blang Oi. All of the homes, structures, and infrastructure were completely destroyed, and many members of the community perished. Thus, the community sustained not only the loss of possessions and homes, but also family members, substantially decreasing the population.
Studied Area
Figure 3.8 Roads destroyed by the tsunami
The population after the disaster was drastically lower than its pre-tsunami level, consisting of 943 people with 693 heads of household (Source: Sea Defense Consultant, 2007). Nearly 95% of the homes were completely destroyed, with 5% heavily damaged, and 100% of the public facilities and infrastructure sustained heavy damage. Aid was needed from various sources to help the residents in rebuilding their homes, facilities, and village infrastructure.
This is corroborated by correspondents in the community, who stated that nearly all of their homes sustained heavy damage and were no longer inhabitable. The residents rebuilt their homes with aid from donors. The community's source of information regarding aid available was the Pak Keuchik (the village head) and other community members. This shows that Pak Keuchik played an important role in aiding the village residents by making them aware of information regarding aid available for reconstruction. In addition, the sharing of information between community members was also important because they were all victims of the disaster. The aid received by the community of Blang Oi came not in the form of aid houses, but in the form of funds that allowed the residents to rebuild their own homes. This process was supervised by the homeowners, donors, and village officials.
When programs give aid in the form of funds, local people are involved in managing the funds themselves. Based on the results of a field study, aid providers involved the community from the initial stages of data collection up until the point where they had rebuilt their own homes. The community members were involved in data collection regarding houses destroyed by the tsunami in their village because they were acquainted with the occupants of the homes. The community members also ascertained for themselves the locations on which their houses should be built. The fund providers allowed the community to choose their own home designs and materials, and supervised the house that would be built on their own. Homes were built in accordance with the funds available. Although the funds were managed by the community members, there was a sense of accountability within the community for every rupiah used. This in itself was a form of supervision on the part of donors.
Aid systems involving community participation sometimes encounter obstacles. An interview with one official at the keuchik's office revealed that it was sometimes impossible for the community and donors to reach an agreement on issues, such that a third party was needed to bridge the divide between the two parties. This third party was usually an elder village official known to be trustworthy. Thus, every misunderstanding was resolved.
Involving the community in building homes resulted in better reconstruction and a community that is satisfied with their homes because every step and rupiah taken was managed by the villagers themselves. This is evident in the current conditions of their homes, and the fact that the residents contributed to their own private funds to the pool of donated funds to make homes that they can be proud of.
Figure 3.9 Current Conditions of Houses Learning from the Recovery Process
The process of rebuilding homes for tsunami victims often did not involve the communities themselves.
Aid givers often gave aid directly in the form of homes. Sometimes these homes were not appropriate
for habitation, having been built arbitrarily by contractors. Remarks from correspondents in the area studied and literature about the rehabilitation and reconstruction of homes in Aceh indicate that the community desired to be involved in rebuilding their homes. In the area studied, the homes that were built with the involvement of the community members were satisfying to their owners, ensuring that the residents felt a true sense of ownership over their homes. This is because the homes were built according to their desires, using the aid funds available. Their satisfaction with their houses shows that process of building homes with community involvement in Blang Oi was well-conceived and implemented. In addition, community members themselves solved problems that occurred in the process of rebuilding. Thus it can be said that the building was done by the people, for the people.
Cross-Sector Issues
1. POVERTY
Programs to rebuild houses with community involvement can directly help reduce poverty. Those who earn their living as construction workers can put their skills to use building houses in their community, and the money they earn can feed their families or can be added to funds to build their own homes.
Rebuilding a village is not just about rebuilding homes, but also about rebuilding infrastructure and government-regulated facilities. Involving the community means that the community serves as a connection between the government and individual citizens. Indirectly, payments community members receive can feed their families.
2. HEALTH
Houses built by community themselves take into account the health of the residents. Although the houses are small, the community members still made houses that are healthy for their families.
3. LIVING ENVIRONMENT
The issues of the living environment were taken into account by the community and village administration. Community members had to think about how the environment contributes to their lives, and their involvement in every building decision ensures that they can help protect the environment in which they live.
4. GENDER
The results of our correspondence and interviews indicated that there were no obstacles to women's participation in home reconstruction. Women were involved not only in rebuilding their own homes, but also in joining community teams that helped to solve problems between the community and donors.