Aceh Besar, Indonesia
Indonesia was probably the country hardest hit by the tsunami. Over 220,000 people were killed, millions were left homeless and the country's infrastructure was destroyed. Amongst the many buildings destroyed was Krueng Raba Primary School in village of Lamkruet in the Aceh Besar area. The school was situated just 500 metres from the coast and 37 students and 6 teachers were killed when the tidal wave struck.
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The destroyed school |
"...students have been dispersed across a number of schools...straining the resources of the host schools and making it difficult for children to rebuild their lives"
Plan proposal for rebuilding Krueng Raba Primary School
The Freemasons' Grand Charity contributed £110,000 towards the reconstruction of the school. The local children and community were extensively consulted on the design of the school and their views were taken on-board. For example, an area ear-marked for parking was landscaped to provide a greener setting. The school incorporates a library, teacher accomodation, a playground and is accessible to disabled pupils. Construction began in 2006 and the first lessons began in 2007. The stable, healthy learning environment for 240 pupils will make an important contribution to the building of a brighter future for the children whose lives were torn apart over a few hours.
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"I am very excited..I have 16 friends that will attend the school with me"
Pawwestry (11), Lamkruet
The ongoing monitoring and evaluation of projects is a key part of the work undertaken by Plan. For any agency working in Aceh corruption is a major concern. Plan ensured strict mechanisms were put in place and focused on low-cost, high-impact programmes to further reduce the associated risks.