 Building
Boats & Rebuilding Lives in Indonesia
Four months have passed since the tsunamis hit Southeast Asia and devastated
millions of lives. Operation Blessing’s relief and recovery teams
are still on the ground helping survivors rebuild their lives in Indonesia’s
Aceh province. As of April 16th, our medical teams have treated 66,866 injured
and sick patients in Aceh. Survivors in this area have also received 8,788
packages of emergency supplies.
In addition to providing emergency and short-term relief, OBI teams plan
to build 300 traditional boats for Aceh fishermen who lost their boats
and equipment. Fifty boats have already been constructed. One fisherman
named Nadar is among the many that are thankful to be able to return to
work.
Nadar, 40, has been fishing for a living since he was ten years old.
“Being a fisherman was not my dream, but I had no other option,”
he explained. “The fact that I could support my family by fishing
and living simply was enough for us.
“This storm [tsunami] not only destroyed our belongings and took
the lives of our relatives, it also crushed our one and only source of
income. How can we work if our boat has been smashed? I was so desperate
because I didn’t know what to do.”
Thanks to Operation Blessing’s caring partners, Nadar and his friends
have begun to cast their fishing nets into the waves again. “Now
the fishermen in our village can take a breath, for Operation Blessing
Indonesia had constructed new boats for us,” said Nadar. “At
last we can work again to support our families.”
Not only do Indonesian fisherman like Nadar have new boats and gear,
these men and their families have a reason to hope for the future. Your
gift of $40 or more can help Asia’s tsunami and earthquake survivors
continue to rebuild!
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