Meath residents raise a whopping €111,000 for victims of tsunami

THE coastline around Banda Aceh on northern Sumatra, Indonesia's largest island, was ripped apart by the tsunami on St Stephen's Day 2004 and, since then, people across Meath have raised an impressive €111,039 in aid.

Viewed from a plane it is ragged, torn and wild. The almost complete lack of palm trees or sand add to the desolation. This area is heavy with the memory of that terrible day.

While Indonesians experience frequent extreme weather conditions, no-one was prepared for the 15 metre tsunami that killed 128,645 here alone. Over half a million lost their homes. The devastation is clearly visible even today: dead tree trunks stick out of the water where they were once on dry land. Concrete foundations from which the walls of houses were torn are seen everywhere. Simple plaques mark mass graves on the roadside.

But just as unprecedented in scale was the international outpouring of compassion in the weeks and months following the disaster. Billions were pledged internationally and Irish people committed €28.7 million to Trócaire alone. Of that, the impressive €111,039 came from donors across Meath.

In the three years since the tsunami, much has been done in the four countries worst hit: Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India.

In Thailand, Trócaire contributed €554,755 to the initial relief operations, which included rebuilding homes and schools and helping fishermen with boats and equipment so that they could get back on the water. Indonesia was the worst affected country, and it was here that Trócaire contributed its largest share of the funding: €11,397,291 so far on programmes ranging from house building to education and sustainable agriculture programmes.

Sri Lanka has received €8,208,851, which has helped build over 6,000 houses and many health centres, market buildings and playgrounds, amongst other projects.

And in India, having helped 60,000 families receive food, medicine and water, Trócaire is now committed to the continued support of affected communities with special focus on marginalised groups. €5,160,538 has been spent in India to date.

The tsunami affected so many millions of lives in many different places but lives are slowly being rebuilt. Trócaire's focus has moved onto long-term development and helping communities build themselves back up and be more resilient to future disasters.

In Indonesia, Trócaire, along with a partner organisation, has developed a series of short films that use puppetry to educate schoolchildren about natural disasters.

In Sri Lanka, women's groups have been set up that encourage people to become entrepreneurs as well as having independence.

Tengka Ansjari is a young teacher at the Pesantran Budi School near Lamno, in Aceh province. He lost his best friend, his home and many colleagues and students to the tsunami.  Some of his students had sought refuge on the roof of the two-storey school but the wave was too high and they were simply washed away.

Tengka tried to help but the waves kept coming. The aftershocks that repeated for a few days after the tsunami created panic and anxiety for everyone.

But with Trócaire's help, the Pesantran Budi school is now open and Tengka has a home in one of the houses that were built on a hill to avoid any future waves. "Education is central to living," he said, and it would be hard for the brave students who have ventured back, rebuilding the community as they do so, to disagree."