[Kabar-indonesia] 5 Tempo 'Aceh Today' Reports: Hopes for New Bill; Tents to Shelters; Shooting

[JoyoNews at aol.com]

5 Tempo Magazine Aceh Today Reports:

- Hopes for the New Law on Aceh 
  [The Aceh bill is scheduled for 
  passage into law on July 11]

- Shooting at Keude Paya Bakong 

- From Tents to Shelters 

- Bicycles for Peace

- Events: CHF Donates Boat Repair 
  Shop for Panglima Laot; Aceh TV 
  On-Air August 15 

Tempo Magazine
No. 45/VI
July 11-17, 2006 

Aceh Today

Hopes for the New Law on Aceh 

AHEAD of the scheduled passage by the House of Representatives (DPR) of the 
Aceh Administration Bill on July 11, several factions in the DPR have expressed 
hopes that the law would be seriously implemented to bring lasting peace to 
the province. 

Saifullah Ma'sum, spokesman for the National Awakening Party, said the 
government should be able to control the General Allocation Fund (DAU) 
granted Aceh and account for its spending. "Make sure that so huge an amount of 
funding shall not be misappropriated for the benefit of only of a few people," he 
said at a meeting of the special committee on the Aceh bill on Wednesday last 
week. 

Sutradara Gintings, of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, hoped the 
DAU, the province's share of the state-earned revenues, and additional funds 
would be used to combat poverty. Gintings also hoped the law would contribute 
to reuniting the people of Aceh. 

Similar hopes were expressed by Budi Harsono, of the Golkar Party. He said 
the law would reinforce peace already achieved in Aceh. "We hope the law would 
serve as a basis for peace in accordance with the Constitution," said Harsono. 

Also present at Wednesday's meeting were Home Affairs Minister M. Ma'ruf and 
Communication & Information Minister Sofyan Djalil. Ma'ruf said the law would 
serve as a strong foundation for a better future for Aceh. The law should be 
widely publicized in Aceh, coming as it was, he added, as the province was 
preparing for the first direct election of its governor. 

Meanwhile, a group of civil organizations in Aceh have threatened to call a 
general strike and asked the Constitutional Court to test the constitutionality 
of the bill. 

The group, including the Central Information for Aceh Referendum, Aceh 
Students Association, Aceh Youth Alliance, CeSAR, ARC, Linkpeace, Kutaradja Forum, 
and Aceh Anti-Corruption Movement, said the bill submitted by the government to 
the DPR for approval sharply differed from a draft submitted to the central 
government by the Aceh Regional House of Representatives (DPRD). 

Taufik Abda, speaking for the group, cited Article 11 paragraph 7 of the bill 
which, he said, gave room for the central government to exercise unlimited 
power in the administration of Aceh. "This article should be dropped as it runs 
counter to the Helsinki memorandum of understanding," said Abda. 

Abda also cited Article 8 which provided that any policy decision on Aceh 
shall be subject to consultation with and consideration of the DPRD. He said the 
word "consideration" should be changed to "approval." 

The group asked the DPR to first acquaint the public with the bill and the 
DPRD to meet and accommodate the diverse aspirations of the people of Aceh 
before it is passed into law. 

Ferry Mursyidan Baldan, chairman of the DPR special committee, said the bill 
had been prepared with the maximum interests of the people of Aceh in mind. 
"Not a single aspiration of the people of Aceh had been ignored," he told Tempo. 

As to Article 8, Baldan said the Governor of Aceh would certainly object to 
every decision he would make to be subject to the approval of the DPRD. It 
sufficed for the DPRD to only give its "considerations," said Baldan. 

Baldan said he didn't mind that people not satisfied with the results of the 
DPR deliberations on the bill submit their case to the Constitutional Court. 

Jusuf Kalla, Chairman of the Golkar Party, said many provisions in the bill 
had gone beyond the Helsinki agreement in favor of Aceh. Kalla cited the 
granting of additional DAU which, he said, was not provided under the agreement. 
"This provision which is not stated in the MoU is a value added to the bill in 
favor of Aceh," said Kalla. 

Aqida, Harry Daya, Adi Warsidi, Raden Rachmadi, Ako Ariwibowo 

Items Agreed On: 

* Title of the bill on the administration of Aceh. 
* Independent candidates should be supported by at least 3 percent 
  of the population and in office for only one term. 
* General Allocation Fund to be granted at 2 percent for 15 years 
  and 1 percent for 5 subsequent years. 
* Oil and gas resources to be jointly developed with the central 
  government. 
* Syariah Islamic law to be enforced by the police jointly with the 
  civil authorities. 
* Local political parties to be in affiliation with the nationally based 
  political parties. 
* The governor to consult with the President on the appointment 
  of the provincial secretary. 
* In the event of a jinayah (crime) being jointly committed by two 
  persons or more, the non-Muslims among them, if any, may elect 
  and voluntarily subject themselves to hokum jinayah (Islamic criminal law).

-------------------------------

Tempo Magazine
No. 45/VI
July 11-17, 2006 

Aceh Today 

Shooting at Keude Paya Bakong 

An AMM car is shot at in front of a TNI post. An ex-GAM member perishes. 

TWO mounds run across the road in front of the Indonesian Military (TNI) 
Company HQ of the Battalion 111 at Keudee Paya Bakong, Paya Bakong, North Aceh. 
Made of cement, these "sleeping policeman" are a rather unique piece of 
construction. Elevated with a sharp top, its main purpose across streets in Indonesia 
is to slow down speeding vehicles. Naturally, motorists hate them. "If a 
motorcycle passes over it, its engine can hit it," said Teungku Abdullah, a 
resident of Keudee Paya Bakong, North Aceh. 

Those speed bumps were not made without reason. Apparently the TNI post 
officers had been irritated by the behavior of Sofyan, 28, a former GAM member. 
Every time he rode past the military post, Sofyan, alias Combat, liked to rev up 
his Yahama RX King motorcycle. Its noise was deafening, annoying people. "This 
road is not a race circuit," said a TNI soldier with annoyance. 

But because of this bump in the road, peace in Aceh came close to collapsing 
last week. Muhamad Umar, 23, Combat's comrade, was going to Pante village. 
Accompanied by Syamidan alias Kribo, 35, this ex-guerrilla fighter passed the TNI 
post. Umar borrowed Sofyan's motorbike. Kribo was riding his own motorbike. 

In front of the post, Umar was stopped by TNI soldiers. They mistook him for 
Combat. "This is the guy we've been looking for," said the soldiers, as quoted 
by Umar. Kribo stepped on the gas to speed away. Instead, Umar, the boy from 
Serba Jaman village, Tanah Luas subdistrict, was beaten black and blue. After 
being dragged into the post, he was punched and kicked. Umar was also accused 
of carrying 2 ounces of ganja leaves. 

The news of Umar's beating spread fast. Half an hour later, hundreds of 
former GAM members got together and approached the post from the west. From the 
eastern side, other people also rallied around to demand that Umar be released. 
Seeing that the situation might turn ugly, Munardi, an ex-GAM member, contacted 
the Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) in Lhok Seumawe. 

Half an hour later, North Aceh Military District chief Lt. Col. Belyuni 
Herliansyah came on the scene with AMM members Jorma Gardemaster and Taban Tukul. 
Joining them later was Teungku Zulkarnaini, head of the Pasee KPA (Aceh 
Transition Committee-an organization for former GAM guerrillas). 

Earlier, Muslem, 25, former member of GAM, made an attempt to negotiate. He 
knew the TNI personnel at the post, because Muslem once supplied them cement 
for the construction of the military company headquarters. But his attempts 
failed. Umar remained in custody. At that moment, dozens of motorcycles were 
nearing and lingered around the newly arrived AMM car. 

A minute after the AMM car arrived, gunshots were heard. An eyewitness said 
that there were at least 10 shots. The mobs dispersed and lay close to the 
ground. Unfortunately Muslem was at the front row. One shot penetrated his 
shoulder into his chest. Bleeding heavily, he took shelter inside the AMM's Ford car. 
Moments later, he died. 

Two others were injured. Police Brigadier 2nd Class Satria, the AMM's guard, 
was hit by a bullet in the back. Meanwhile, Rasyidin, a Panton Drien resident, 
was intercepted by TNI personnel while running away. He was shot in the thigh 
and buttocks. Rasyidin was saved because he jumped into the car of the KPA 
head. Three shots also hit the AMM car. 

In the wake of the incident, the mob ran amok. A TNI post at Gunci village 
was torched. Fortunately their anger was appeased after Lt. Col. Belyuni and KPA 
head Zulkarnaini each calmed their respective men. 

The TNI soon formed an investigation team. "We're going to find out where the 
shots came from," said Commander of the Iskandar Muda Military Command Brig. 
Gen. Efrizal R. A forensic team from the North Sumatra Regional Police was 
sent to Paya Bakong to investigate the incident. 

During the re-enactment of the incident Wednesday last week, they TNI denied 
they had struck Umar first. "Umar struck first," said Lt. Col. Belyuni. He 
admitted that the "sleeping policemen" was also the source of the incident. "The 
bumps are indeed too high." 

But, senior GAM representative in the AMM, Irwandi Yusuf, accused the new TNI 
post at Paya Bakong of being the culprit. The village is, in fact, known as a 
supporter of GAM. The existence of the post was discussed in a CoSA 
(Commission on Security Arrangements) meeting a couple of months ago. "But, AMM 
Chairman Pieter Feith said there would be no problem as long as the TNI did not 
increase its personnel," said Irwandi. 

Feith described the event as a serious incident. He was in Belgium when the 
incident took place. In a written statement, Feith said the AMM would probe the 
matter through the CoSA forum this week. Obviously he was worried. "AMM 
members are placed in a dangerous situation while performing their duties," said 
Feith. 

Nezar Patria, Imran M.A. (Lhok Seumawe), Adi Warsidi (Banda Aceh) 

---------------------------------------

Tempo Magazine
No. 45/VI
July 11-17, 2006 

Aceh Today 

>From Tents to Shelters 

THE shelters stand in a row toward the north, along the Cot Irie River that 
stretches hundreds of meters beside them. All the dwelling places were already 
filled with refugees, the Aceh Jaya residents who earlier suffered in 
Lampeuneurut tents, Greater Aceh. 

On that particular Friday morning, June 30, the refugees who had just 
inhabited the shelters for a week in the Barona Jaya subdistrict, Greater Aceh, had 
an important visitor. Acting Aceh Governor Mustafa Abubakar and several other 
officials were making a last-minute inspection. Understandably, the deadline 
for moving all the refugees from the tents was only a few hours away. 

The moving from tents to the shelters was a joyous occasion. There is no need 
for alarm when the wind is blowing strongly or during a heavy downpour. Also 
there is no need to bother about the heat and environmental filth. Everything 
is well-kept. "The people are happier to stay here rather than in the tents," 
said Munarwati, one of the refugees. 

She said she was very bored staying in the tents. Just imagine, ever since 
the tsunami devastated Aceh, her life has been lived constantly under the 
emergency condition even though the tsunami struck one and a half years ago. 

However, the happiness of Munarwati and other refugees was limited to mere 
places for shelter. A lack of facilities was another distressing problem, that 
is, clean water which was not yet running properly. Electricity was made 
available the night before the governor's visit. 

Saiful Najib, 30, the Coordinator of the Aceh Jaya Refugees Command Post, 
recounted the hardship. Since moving into the new location, his people suffered 
difficulty in getting clean water. As a result, 611 refugees (166 families) had 
to take a bath and use water for household needs at the wells of local 
residents living not far from the camps. "Previously in the refugees camps, water 
was abundantly supplied by an NGO," he said. 

As a matter of fact, the location was not without water. An artesian well had 
been dug by the shelter project management with pipes running into every 
corner. Unfortunately, until their move, the facility still remained locked and 
had not been put into operation because it had not been formally transferred 
yet. 

During the governor's visit, they complained about the matter. He promised he 
would immediately resolve the problem. Nevertheless, during the writing of 
this article, one of the refugees sent a notice to reporters: "We badly need 
clean water." 

>From the Cot Irie camp, the Aceh Governor inspected the moving of tent 
dwellers at the Mata Ie TVRI compound. They would be moved to the shelters at Lhoong 
Raya, Greater Aceh. "This progress is remarkable, to release the refugees 
from the tents," said Governor Abubakar. 

The move involved all elements of the local government. All over Aceh, teams 
were dispatched to tsunami-stricken areas to move the refugees, such as in 
Banda Aceh, Greater Aceh, West Aceh, Aceh Jaya, Simeulu, and other coastal areas. 

The teams were assigned the tasks in accordance with their mission, to vacate 
the refugee tents and move to shelters which had been built. The teams also 
made sudden inspections of tents built simply to solicit assistance. These 
tents were without occupants. There were tents of this sort in Aceh, even though 
they were not many in number. If discovered by the authorities, these tents 
without occupants would be dismantled by the authorities forthwith. 

Problems also arose when the refugees were moved from the tents at Mata Ie. 
Some refugees were disappointed with the insufficient number of shelters 
provided at Lhong Raya and Cot Gue, Greater Aceh. The refugees there numbered 227 
families who were mostly house renters before the tsunami. Out of the number, 55 
families did not get shelters when being moved. "We've packed our belongings, 
but we don't get our share of the places. We don't know where else to go," 
said Marfi, one of the residents. 

According to him, the moving of the refugees from the tents to the shelters 
had not been accompanied by clear data, thus many refugees were neglected when 
the government ordered them to move from the refugee centers. 

But the problem did not last long. Two days later, those left behind were 
immediately served and went toward the shelters. Even though the deadline was 
over, the program, which was the responsibility of the Aceh regional government, 
continued in order to provide the refugees with decent shelters, while waiting 
for the completion of the houses being built by the Aceh-Nias Rehabilitation 
& Reconstruction Agency (BRR) and various NGOs. 

This was acknowledged by the governor. Even though the deadline was over, 
"Only a handful of refugees still remain in the tents, the move to the shelters 
still continues," he said following the transfer of the shelters at Lhoong 
Raya, Greater Aceh, last week. These shelters were provided as aid from the 
Australian Red Cross. 

Through the Australia-Indonesia partnership program, the funding for the 
shelter construction amounted to A$3 million. The program also employed 200 
skilled people from the Aceh community. In addition, Australia was also committed to 
increasing its assistance to help provide the housing program worth A$7 
million. 

According to Abubaker, the program to move the refugees from the tents began 
in January 2006, when 13,753 tents were still standing in the entire Aceh 
coastal areas hit by tsunami, mostly in Aceh Jaya, West Aceh, Greater Aceh, Banda 
Aceh, and Simeulu. 

Until June 30, 2006, the tents with refugees numbered 286. This figure 
continued to drop by moving refugees to the newly constructed shelters. Until July 
3, 2006, there were only 269 tents still standing, comprising 206 in West Aceh, 
and 63 in Aceh Jaya. "Other areas have been cleared of tents, with all 
refugees earlier living in tents moved to shelters," said Abubaker. He promised that 
in another week the tent problem in Aceh Jaya would have been resolved. 

Governor's assistant Muhyan said that the definition of tent refugees is 
tsunami victims who really live in tents. Those are the people who receive the top 
priority for transfer. While the victims who stay in homemade emergency 
houses are not categorized as tent dwellers. "However, we also move them to 
shelters," he said. 

He admitted that the program still continues to date. Until now, all over 
Aceh, 11,000 shelters have been built. The Australian Red Cross is committed to 
building 16,000 shelters; the rest are under construction. 

The governor further said that he did not know the exact number of shelter 
dwellers to receive housing. Abubaker said this authority was in the hands of 
the BRR. "We'll settle this first (the tent issue); as for the houses, it's the 
authority of the BRR and the readiness of the NGOs. We'll speak about it 
later," he told reporters. 

The governor set a target that by the end of this month Aceh will really be 
free from tents. Released from the tents, hopefully there will be no more clean 
water problem, as in Cot Irie. Hopefully everything will be completed fast, 
including the houses the people are waiting for. 

Adi Warsidi

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Tempo Magazine
No. 45/VI
July 11-17, 2006 

Aceh Today 

Bicycles for Peace 

IN a dim hut without electric lights, Lia Agustina, 20, was stunned when the 
man with long blond hair stroked the unborn baby she had conceived. The 
expectant mother displayed saddened eyes as she heard her husband's vow. 

"If our baby is born without operation, I want to have an adventure ride to 
Aceh!" said Rifan seriously, his wife Lia nodding in response. 

The 30-year-old was not an adventurer, soldier or politician, nor was he a 
humanitarian activist. He was only an ice cream seller. He had known nothing 
about Aceh but its war. And the war was over. Aceh turned peaceful, a fact he had 
learned by word of mouth. 

Five months after the birth of his son Ralinalargaitan, Rifan, the resident 
of Sidomulyo, Sukun-Penampungan subdistrict, East Java, kept his vow. He left 
his baby, wife, and the house he leased at Rp600,000 a year, as well as the 
tricycle he used for selling ice cream. 

"Take care of yourself, don't expect anything beautiful," remarked Rifan 
moments before leaving his spouse. "Pray for my safety and our family's reunion." 

After filling his panniers with sugar, coffee, instant noodles, bicycle spare 
parts, a mattress, and some clothes, Rifan rode to the city hall. He avoided 
public notice. "Neighbors would have noticed if I'd departed from home," he 
said with a smile. 

Rifan was not alone in his journey to Aceh. He was accompanied by Yusan, 26, 
who came from Karang Besuk Kelaseman, Sukun subdistrict, Malang, East Java. In 
fact, another friend would have joined them. "He couldn't make it as his 
parent died," said Yusan.  

Covering a distance of over 2,397 kilometers by bike for around three weeks 
through islands and forests, the ride Rifan and Yusan undertook was far 
different in spirit from the Tour de France. "Its mission was a tour for peace in 
Aceh," explained Rifan. 

Rifan and Yusan had never been to Aceh before. They traveled without a map. 
In order not to get lost, they frequently asked people in every city they 
passed. 

The tour was not free from harm. As they left Jambi, Rifan lost control of 
his bicycle, making him plunge into a ditch, fortunately without any serious 
injury. "In Cilegon (Banten), six fingers were broken," he recalled smilingly. 

To Rifan, the Aceh adventure was also meant as a 'gift' for his first son. 
According to him, with his income of Rp6,000 to Rp10,000 from selling ice cream 
daily, he could not do much for the future of his child. "We can't afford it, 
so let there be some story to tell my kid," added Rifan, inhaling cigarette 
smoke. 

The campaign for peace in Aceh first struck him when the government and the 
Free Aceh Movement (GAM) signed a peace memorandum on August 15 last year. 

With a Rp1 million allowance from Malang's National Sports Committee, Rifan 
and Yusan set out on their journey in May. Along their way, they were 
campaigning intensively. Far different from the peace campaigns launched by the 
government or non-government organizations in Aceh today, both men did not stick up 
posters or distribute leaflets to people they met on public roads. 

Uniquely, their Aceh peace campaign took place in food stalls, while drinking 
water for a rest. To stall visitors they expressed their support for peace in 
Aceh and hoped for everlasting peace in Indonesia. 

Joy and bitterness were experienced in their campaign. Their most memorable 
occasion was when they were forced to celebrate Maulid (Prophet's birthday) in 
Gogo, Padang Tiji, Aceh Pidie. It was because people at the food stall were 
very pleased with the mission of Rifan and Yusan. "We left our bikes at the 
stall and were taken by truck to Meunasah to join Maulid," Rifan reminisced. 

On their way, during nighttime Rifan and Yusan slept in different places, 
most frequently in mosques. In Banda Aceh they spent the night in a radio 
station. The next day they proceeded to the governor's office of Nanggroe Aceh 
Darussalam. Sadly, until afternoon Acting Aceh Governor Mustafa Abubakar was not 
available. "He is in Jakarta," said an employee at that time. 

What they wished to convey to the governor was simple: their intention for 
coming to Aceh and their hope that the peace accord would be permanent. 

Besides, a meeting with the Aceh Governor would have brought pride to Rifan 
and Yusan. "If such a meeting was seen as unimportant, then it's all right," 
said Rifan in a hoarse voice. "We would have liked to pose for a picture with 
the governor to take home." 

Now Rifan and Yusan have returned, but their whereabouts are not known. After 
the departure of both cyclists for peace in Aceh, two incidents have set Aceh 
aflame. In Paya Bakong, East Aceh, a car of the Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) 
was shot at. The commotion caused one death and wounded two others. 
Meanwhile, in Sigli, Pidie, three wood collectors died and another was injured. The 
origin of the shots was unknown. Let us hope that peace won't be disrupted. -- 
Maimun Saleh

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Tempo Magazine
No. 45/VI
July 11-17, 2006 

Aceh Today 

CHF Donates Boat Repair Shop for Panglima Laot 

COMMUNITY, Habitat, and Finance (CHF) International has donated a boat repair 
facility and equipment to Panglima Laot Aceh at a presentation ceremony in 
Banda Aceh on Wednesday last week. 

CHF International was represented at the ceremony by Muna Al Attas, CHF 
Livelihood Manager, and Thomas White, Chief of Party, and Panglima Laot Aceh by 
Pawang Ibrahim Hasyim, Pawang Yusuf Sulaiman, and M Adli Abdullah. 

Adli, Panglima Laot's secretary, said the boat repair shop was short of 
operators. "Panglima Laot still finds difficulty finding operators to run the 
machines," he said. 

White, for his part, said CHF would consider training the required operators. 
"The boat repair shop is part of our programs being carried out with the 
support of many organizations," he said. "One of these organizations," he added, 
"was USAID." 

Aceh TV On-Air August 15 

THE rage of establishing local television stations spreading in Indonesia is 
also coming to Aceh, with the emergence of just such a project. "This Aceh TV 
will be on-air starting from August 15. The time is chosen so that it will 
coincide with the first anniversary of peace between the Republic of Indonesia 
(RI) and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM)," the CEO of PT Aceh Media Televisi 
Indonesia, Dahlan TH, revealed last week. 

Dahlan, who is also Chairman of the Aceh branch of the Indonesian Journalists 
Association (PWI), said that the station would initially be on-air for nine 
hours a day, with a view to extending it to 12 hours in the future. The initial 
programs will expose local traditions. In the beginning the programs can be 
seen by residents of Banda Aceh, Greater Aceh, and Sabang. "Hopefully, in this 
way, traditional arts and languages will get further appreciation," he said. 

Dahlan refused to divulge both the name of the investor and the funds spent 
to establish this local television station, located in close proximity to the 
Aceh studio of state-owned TVRI. He voiced optimism that local young people 
would eventually be able to fill the slots for reporters, cameramen, video 
editing personnel, graphic designers, secretaries and other personnel. The general 
requirements for recruits are: maximum age of 25 years, single and a 
non-smoker. 

Books from Singapore Held Up in Batam 

AT least 1,700 copies of books donated by the government and people of 
Singapore for children victims of the tsunami in Aceh are still held up in Batam. 
Dady Rachmanta M Lis, head of the National Library of the Republic of Indonesia 
in Aceh, said he had repeatedly requested the customs authorities on the Riau 
island to release the books to no avail. The local customs office wanted an 
official letter from the donors stating the books were a grant from Singapore 
for the victims of the tsunami in Aceh. 

Dekernas Trains Aceh Batik Craftsmen 

THE National Handicraft Council (Dekernas) in Aceh is training 30 Aceh-motif 
batik craftsmen. The two-month training program, led by 10 instructors from 
Cirebon, West Java, took place at Taman Ratu Safiatuddin in Banda Aceh. 

Ibu Darliza Mustafa Abubakar, head of Dekernas Aceh, said the program was 
funded by the Aceh-Nias Rehabilitation & Reconstruction Agency. Participants are 
trained to produce both printed and hand-painted batik. The first group of 17 
female and 13 male trainees come from many parts of Aceh. Dekernas would 
shortly build an office, a production facility and a showroom in support of 
Aceh-motif batik development in the province. 

Profile of the Week 

CHILDREN on the Edge (COTE) was founded in 1990 by Anita Roddick, the owner 
of the Body Shop. At first COTE only wanted to alleviate the suffering within 
Romania's orphanages. Now COTE implements programs throughout the world. The 
mission of this organization is to work on behalf of marginalized and vulnerable 
children, often orphaned or victims of war. 

COTE is also working in Aceh, since the tsunami in 2004. Reconstruction is 
essential both for villages and towns, but also for individuals and communities 
as well. This is where COTE enters; they give help for the victims by building 
the Child and Community Center in Neuheun, Banda Aceh, a place for children 
and the local community to recover from the horrors of the tsunami. 

The Child and Community Center is located in the center of Neuheun in Greater 
Aceh. With over 1,500 internally displaced persons, including 100 orphans, 
the community is in desperate need of facilities. The Child and Community Center 
is based on UNICEF's Child Friendly Space initiative. COTE is one of the 
first organizations to unveil a center. Play and study can help children tap into 
natural resilience, the goal of the Center. This Center not only provide 
pre-school education, but also establishes a sense of 'normalcy' and gives children 
a safe place to play. 

In Aceh, they employed a step-by-step approach in selecting the right 
building, its positioning, the involvement of the local community in construction, 
and giving the youth a sense of ownership in this project. The Center can be 
used as kindergarten, with support of qualified teachers as well as volunteers, 
and also it can act as a meeting place for the local community council as well 
as women's groups.

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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