| "AIRO Big Fish" Chapter 1, 28 July, 2005-Eddie Bloom, AIRO VP AIRO has now established our own Indonesian non-profit foundation with the Indonesian Government, called "AIRO Yayasan", and signed a two-year lease on the AIRO Krueng Raya boat-building facility. We are currently working with LDS charities and the UN-FAO to build an additional 56 fishing boats there. Under development are still larger projects in Lhokseumawe and Mulia. AIRO has also recently secured a two-year lease on "AIRO Big Fish" - our new office and living quarters in Peunayong, Banda Aceh. It is located in the heart of some of the worst tsunami-hit areas here and is adjacent to neighboring Lampulo, one of the largest fishing centers in all of Aceh Province. Appropriately anointed "AIRO Big Fish", the 3-story flat is nestled right on the waterway leading out to the Indian Ocean, overlooking the large fishing boats of Lampulo out back and the bazaar and fish markets out front. After 6 weeks of major renovation, we finally moved into Big Fish a week ago. It is a beautiful example of restoration and recovery. We have plans to beautify the entire area surrounding Big Fish. It is a small miracle that we already have phone and Internet service here. AIRO projects have also grown considerably since the initial 10, 9-meter boats were completed and provided to the village of Krueng Raya. AIRO is currently working together with LDS Charities to build 26, 5-meter traditional Acehnese fishing boats at our Krueng Raya site. Each boat will be provided to two families that have been certified by local authorities to have lost a fishing boat in the tsunami. AIRO is also working with the UN-FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization) to build 30, 7.5 meter Acehnese fishing boats, also on the AIRO Krueng Rayasite. Wood will be ordered for this project within the next week and dry on the racks for at least another 3-4 weeks before any work can be started. Additionally, AIRO has reached agreement with a local builder to construct a 20-meter x 10meter covered boat shed, and a large wood-drying rack on the AIRO Krueng Raya facility. The shed will shelter workers from the sun and rain and will provide electricity on the building site. The rack will ensure that the wood dries properly and will allow us to work multiple boat-building projects simultaneously. The rack is scheduled to be completed within the next week or two, the shed within the next 3 to 4 weeks. There is so much to get done here, we can hardly limit AIRO relief work to Krueng Raya - we are sure the facility there will be kept busy building boats for at least the next two years. But it will not be enough. AIRO is currently working with other fishing cooperatives and Indonesian Foundations/Yayasans to establish other boat-building facilities. I just visited the village of Lhokseumawe. It is about a 6-hour drive down the west coast from Banda Aceh. Four different cooperatives there have formed an Indonesian Foundation/Yayasan and are ready to go to work. Two different boat-building teams, each headed by a local master craftsman, would work on these boats. In Mulia, just down the road from Big Fish, still another Indonesian Yayasan has requested fishing boats: one 23-meter and 10, 11-meter cabin-style boats. The master boat craftsman there has a crew of 24 men but needs materials, land-clearing and a boat-shed and wood racks to be able to work. And next to Mulia in Lampulo we are developing proposals to fix and rig with nets 8 different large fishing vessels. These are mostly 23-25 meter boats that use 1200 meter fishing nets and bring in 5-10 tons of fish per week! All of these projects will have large impacts on livelihood recovery that will ripple out into the local economy. AIRO is currently seeking supporters and partners to fund this important tsunami reconstruction work. Otherwise, all is well in Banda Aceh, just very busy. And busy is good. Building Hope in Aceh, Eddie airoeddie@yahoo.com |
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