WVI Supports the Local Government to Build Hundreds of Shelter in Lombok
#LombokBangkitKembali – A year after the earthquake shook Lombok in July 2018, people of Lombok are still living in the limitation. Even though there are no more people stay in tents, but they are still waiting for permanent shelters that would be given by the government of West Nusa Tenggara.
Hery Sudita, Head of Social Culture of Agency for Regional Development of North Lombok Regency says that Lombok has been recovering from the disaster. About 70 percent of economic activity has been back to normal. He says that the government also still focus on permanent shelters until next year.
“We make sure that there are no more displaced people in the North Lombok Regency area. All the people had gone back to the temporary shelter. Even so, we are also still running a permanent shelter program for people,” Hery explained.
Wahana Visi Indonesia (WVI) through Lombok Earthquake Emergency Response helps the government to solve the problems by making the temporary shelter for people who are still waiting for permanent shelters. Hery confirmed that the temporary shelters were built by the village governments, district governments, communities, and NGOs (non-governmental organizations) such as WVI.
With the support of Aktion Deutschland Hilft (ADH) from Germany, WVI collaborates with PKPU Human Initiative committed to helps the government by giving 426 temporary shelters to the communities in 15 sub-villages of Tanjung District in North Lombok Regency.
People who have some conditions such as having badly damaged houses, vulnerable, having their own land, having a legal identity and land certificates become the beneficiaries of the program.
WVI gives shelter with a 4.8 meters area for each beneficiary. They also get the toilet with a 1,6 meters area. The community group also helps the process of building the shelter. They work for preparing information of beneficiaries in each sub-villages.
Even though the process of shelter is still running, the PKPU Human Initiative as the executor of the development process feels a challenge in realizing the establishment of hundreds of shelters in the North Lombok Regency.
Ajang Fahrudin, as the Project Manager of the PKPU Human Initiative for temporary shelter project, said the location of the distribution of shelters and bad road access made the process of building the shelter still seem slow.
"However, the development process of the shelters still continues, so that the target achievements can be in accordance with the plan," Ajang said.
The Widows as Beneficiaries
Although it is not a big job, the assistance of temporary shelter gives great meaning to them who receive it. Some widows are the beneficiaries of this house. We took the time to talk and meet face to face with them.
Nengah Bakti, a widow of five children who live in one of the sub-village in North Lombok Regency, really grateful after receiving a gift from WVI.
"Our house is badly damaged and destroyed. After the earthquake, I lived in a tent for three months with my grandchild and my oldest daughter. After getting a house from WVI, we now live in the house," said Nengah with teary eyes.
Nengah lives with her eldest daughter, Iluh Sumiati and a grandchild. With the presence of shelters on his official land, Nengah no longer needs to be afraid of feeling cold or hot. In fact, the toilets that have been given to her are very meaningful for her family.
Similar to Niluh, Sadrah, a resident of Sokong Village who is also a widow said that she was greatly helped by the presence of shelter that given to her and her family. Everyday Arni lives with her youngest child, Ogin, who is still in high school.
Before the earthquake occurred, Sadrah had just renovated her house. However, the earthquake destroyed the building, so that Sadrah and Ogin were forced to flee to safer places. WVI's presence in the village where she lives provides good things for her.
"We are still waiting for the permanent residence promised by the government until now it is still in the process of queuing. Luckily, WVI came and provided us with the shelter. We were greatly helped," Sadrah said happily.
The shelter development program in Sokong village has been running since April 2019 and is targeted to be completed in December 2019. Until this news was revealed, it was recorded that WVI had built 87 shelters in Sokong Village. At least 217 children and 508 adults have benefited from the construction of the shelter program.
Written by: Putri ianne Barus, Communications Officer Wahana Visi Indonesia
