June 16, 2005 **FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-English** Krueng Raya Hosts Peusijuk for Boats with AIRO Saturday, 18 June 2005, the people of Krueng Raya will celebrate the completion of ten fishing boats at the AIRO boat-building site in Krueng Raya village thirty minutes east of Banda Aceh. These 9-meter boats will be given to pre-tsunami owners as arranged by the village Camat, Kecik and Panglima Laut. They will provide work for up to 400 fishermen and many other support workers in the area. One month after the December tsunami, Austin International Rescue Operations (AIRO) arrived in Indonesia to assist the Acehnese wherever possible. Without knowing exactly what was needed, they left the United States carrying portable water filters and other supplies to help affected villages in Aceh. Aaron Lyman, Eddie Bloom of Austin, Texas and Eric Lyman of Boise, Idaho originally went simply to assist where they could. While distributing filters to villagers, they identified a need, located the village boat-builders and launched the project 19 February 2005. These boats will serve as tug and support for thirty-five larger lift-net fishing boats that have been sitting idle. As a newly-formed international aid organization, AIRO has also recently established a fishing reconstruction center in Lampulo where net-making, boat repairs and other industry restoration activities have begun. AIRO continues to collaborate with other aid organizations including UNFAO, Change A Nation, LDS Charities, Jakarta International Association for Volunteer Effort (JIAVE), and Islamic Relief. For more information and electronic copies of this press release, please contact Aaron Lyman, AIRO President, at 512.750.5096. email: alyman@austin.rr.com, website: www.austin-international-rescue.org |