16 February 2005 - Eddie These activities have come about anew over the last couple of weeks. We visited this very spot about 3 weeks ago and there was nothing there. We are starting to seen a lot of activity move out of emergency/body retrieval and into recovery and reconstruction. A really good feeling, and much nicer pictures... Our own project is taking off quite well. Executive summary attached - we will submit it to the UN Livelihood Sector Working group, and follow up with them with weekly progress reports. Eric is set now to stay and provide on site project management through the duration of the project - a good nother 3 months or so! Aaron and I are out of here in another week or so and will be back in Austin at the end of the month... -FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE- Livelihood Recovery Fishing Boat Construction 16-February-05 Village of Krueng Raya, Port of Malahayati Northern Sumatra, Indonesia PROJECT DESCRIPTION Help restore the predominant livelihood of fishing in the village of Krueng Raya by commissioning local material suppliers to mill the specific type and cuts of wood needed, and by commissioning surviving local craftsman to build fishing boats. The boats will be motorized and used to activate 35 “kumbiya” fishing rigs in the Port of Malahayati. AIRO has identified the local “Panglima Laut” Sea Commander, the boat making craftsmen (a local Krueng Raya team of ten), and a materials supplier in the nearby village of Lamteuba. Facilities will be set up on the same land used prior to the tsunami for boat construction, and will be equipped with a power generator along with the same tools and supplies used prior to the disaster. The land is currently being cleared, with tents and permanent structures being erected over the next two weeks. The local boat building team is commissioned to build ten, 9-meter boats in two-and- a-half months time. AIRO is assisting with the acquisition of materials, tools, supporting the labor costs, and will maintain onsite management through the duration of the project. Dr. Alwi Shihab, Indonesian Minister of Peoples Affairs, referred AIRO to this village and is supportive of developing long-term plans for livelihood restoration. While many assessments are being made among devastated fishing villages, very little building is underway. AIRO has been able to move quickly on this Livelihood Recovery project in part due to its highly focused nature and somewhat limited scope. However, this project can and should serve as a model to be replicated and expanded in tsunami affected fishing villages throughout the western coast of Sumatra. KRUENG RAYA DEMOGRAPHICS Population Pre tsunami = 12,289 Currently = 10,150 Confirmed Dead = 1,026 Still Missing = 1,113 Current Refugees/homeless = 9,744 Livelihood 75%-Sea Fishing 20%-Brick Making/Farming 5%-Shrimp- Farming Pre tsunami – 95 operating “kumbiya” fishing rigs; 35 seaworthy remaining post tsunami. Currently approximately 30% (450) of the fishermen remain in the village. “Kumbiya” boats operate as small fishing rigs, towed out to sea, with daily catch shuttled back to shore by smaller motorized boats with 40hp gas motors. Each of the smaller motorized boats service 3 or 4 different “kumbiya” fishing rigs. All of these smaller boats were destroyed in the disaster, rendering the 35 surviving ”kumbiya” boats inoperable, as both are needed to fish. *FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT EDDIE BLOOM @081511691881* |