The Tsunami disaster of December 26, 2004, hit many Asian countries hard and hit Aceh, an area on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the hardest.
My eyes became wet every-time I saw the news about the Tsunami on TV. My ears ached as I heard conversations about the devastation caused by a seismic force 23,000 times greater than the atom bomb unleashed upon Hiroshima. My dreams turned into nightmares imagining those people who tried to run away from a billion tons of water speeding toward them at 400 miles per hour, at a height of 50 feet and spreading over a distance of 3000 miles. My heart was broken remembering images of the victims being swept away and at the same time I held onto hope for the survivors who would lose everything.
Bewildered by it all, I asked myself, "What then must I do?"
To find an answer, I flew to Jakarta last March to meet Tutty Alawiyah, former Minister of Women's Affairs, to learn about the orphanage she runs, meet with Tsunami survivors and produce a short documentary.
My trip to Indonesia went well. Tutty Alawiyah has been the director of a well regarded orphanage, As Syafi'iyah, for 27 years. She was suddenly entrusted with the care of hundreds of Tsunami survivors. The orphanage is now in need of financial support in order to respond to the sudden addition of new souls.
Tutty was very kind to let me stay at her home near the orphanage complex. During my stay I saw first hand what an amazing lady she is. She is very efficient, prompt and always manages her time wisely. She directs the orphanage, a kindergarten thru college level institution, a radio station, and heads up other social services. She is the mother of 5 children, a grandmother and most of all she is an excellent mother for the orphans in her care.
The Tsunami survivors I met were a real inspiration. I stayed 5 full days at the orphanage and I was thrilled to spend those days with the survivors. Each survivor had a remarkable story to tell.
Wahyu (10) and his sister, Firda (12), had to run fast in order to climb on their neighbor's roof and survive the terrifying rush of water. Wahyu wants to be a pilot and his sister is inspired to become a dentist. Firda said that they were very grateful to be brought to Jakarta and they intend to study hard with dedication to the memory of their lost mother.
Idawati only recently recovered from stomach problems she believes were caused by consuming the dark sea water that crashed down upon her with a frightening roar. She told me, "I was so sad. I lost everyone in my family and I could not find any of their bodies; but I am happy now, I have a new family who loves me so much". Ida loves writing poetry. She won some awards in Aceh and wants to become an author.
Azar told me that he couldn't swim and that the water carried him away for 3 miles. As he was pulled along by the water he thought, "I am ashamed of myself for forgetting my morning prayer and hope God will forgive me." After the water subsided, he believed he had lost his hearing completely. When he arrived in Jakarta the doctor discovered his ears were filled with sand. His hearing was restored after the sand was removed. Azar lost 14 of his family, his home, his belongings, his neighborhood and his school. All became as flat as the earth.
I know there is a reason I met these survivors. They have reminded me how precious life is. That waking up in the morning is a gift. That every breath is a blessing. The survivors taught me not to get angry when difficulties come. To be patient with suffering. To keep working hard and believe God will protect you and to have hope that something better will come. The survivors demonstrate great courage in overcoming their losses and strong motivation to continue their education. I tried to capture their courage and hope in my documentary and I pray you'll see it one day.
I learned a lot from the Tsunami survivors in a short period of time. I will not forget their beautiful faces singing to me a farewell song from Aceh, Bungong Jeumpa.
The Jeumpa flower has pretty layers of petals, of white and yellow with a little bit of redness. It has a beautiful fragrance that all the girls in Aceh fall in love with. During the full moon, when the night wind blows, layers of petals drift off and their fragrance is carried aloft conjuring to memory the beauty of a homeland, hastening them to return.
Dear friends, these survivors need support in order to fulfill their dreams. Let us be their partners. Let us be their friends. Let us come together in righteousness and piety. They want to have a new family, to live normally and continue their education in order to return and rebuild their devastated land.
Aceh is in need of educated, capable survivors too. More than 150,000 Acehnese people were killed by the Tsunami; among them were doctors, lawyers, teachers, merchants and laborers. After the infrastructure has been restored, Aceh needs dedicated people who love and want to return to Aceh to replace those who were swept away.
I am developing a plan that will enable us to be their partners and I need your help.
Come, come whoever you are.
Wonderer, worshipper, lover of leaving.
It doesn't matter.
Ours is not a caravan of despair. (~ Rumi)
Ours is a caravan of hope.
What then must we do?
We must love those with whom we come in contact.
Get involved.
Email me at info@caravanofhope.org and watch this site for updates.
Let us go forth in fellowship with those whom God preserved from tragedy and brought to our caravansarai that we may be of service to one another in His name.
In peace and always with hope,
