Rementasa and her husband at the house they are building with CWS support. Photo: CWS
The family’s old damaged house. Photo: CWS
Recently, people from Donggala district, which was devastated by an earthquake and tsunami in late September 2018, receive money to support them in the next steps of their recovery from the disaster that upended their lives. The payments to families were made through what is called a cash transfer program, and such programs are increasingly popular in humanitarian recovery initiatives – once the initial days and weeks of acute material and protective emergency assistance is done.
Needless to say, people’s faces were bright with anticipation of being able to move out of tents, tarpaulin lean-tos and other makeshift shelters into more secure houses, which they can build with their cash.
Rementasa, a 54-year-old woman who lives with her husband and granddaughter was among those waiting to receive her family’s money. She carried a small black purse and waited patiently in line for her turn. After receiving the money, she shared her story. Even though their home was not completely destroyed or swept away by the disaster, it could not be lived in. So, they built a hut built using salvaged materials and tarpaulins received from CWS. “Now, I am so grateful for this money because my husband and I can’t earn enough money to rebuild our house. We are too old to do extra work as laborers”. The couple must rely just on their farming, which was affected by the disaster, too. The crops they were able to save are not enough to sell to pay for daily living, let alone building materials. Now, with cash assistance, Rementasa and 108 other families are able to rebuild their lives, staring with their houses.
For more information contact mkoeniger@cwsglobal.org