Food for the Hungry reports on community teamwork, appeals for more help

On September 30, an earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale struck Indonesia’s Sumatra province, killing more than 1,000 people and causing immense destruction. More than a month later, thousands of affected families are still trying to get back on their feet again. Food for the Hungry, in partnership with local churches and community leaders, has provided relief assistance to ease the physical and emotional burdens for many families.

Food for the Hungry staff member Pete Howard, who coordinates the organization’s emergency response, returned to the USA recently after working in affected communities. Howard provided some reflections of the individuals and communities FH is working with.

—Scott Aminov, Food for the Hungry Indonesia country director 

Howard met with volunteers like Bina La Rosa, a woman who lost her home to the quake. Bina helped at one of the three feeding programs that Food for the Hungry ran in the initial weeks following the earthquake through a local church partner. Her job was to divide up the food supplies into individual bags for each family and keep a record of the recipients. Bina made sure that the food was distributed equitably to Muslims and Christians.

Howard explains, “At the feeding center, the ladies in the church organize the cooking and distribution and work together with their Muslim neighbors. Pastor Ten (the pastor of FH’s local church partner) told us how the feeding program has given their church inroads into the earthquake-affected communities and how their church building has overflowed with new attendees. They have been dreaming for years of expanding, and it seems that they now have an opportunity. 

 

“Pastor Ten told us that the people in the community felt the ‘compassionate kindness’ of Food for the Hungry and the church. As a result, attitudes toward the pastor and his church are changing, and there is greater warmth and openness from their Muslim neighbors and friends.”

“The way FH does the feeding is by mobilizing volunteers, so the work is much more of a community event rather than a traditional distribution,” says Howard. “This also gives FH an avenue for building relationships and getting to know the community better.”

Food for the Hungry began working in Indonesia in 2004. Some of the ongoing efforts to help families and communities overcome poverty include agriculture and economic development, livelihood program, and education.

Food for the Hungry is appealing for prayers and financial support to help struggling families in Indonesia’s quake zone.

$300 a day can feed 900 people!  Remember that without a home people have no way to deal with food, their livelihoods have been compromised, and because of the influx of foreigners, prices have skyrocketed.

$50 will purchase 1 tool kit for 5 families to share. This tool kit will enable folks to dig out and clean up the debris which is necessary before any rebuilding can take place.  There are still bodies buried beneath the rubble as well.  Each tool kit contains:  1 wheelbarrow, a sledge hammer, crowbar, hacksaw/spare blades, tin snips, pickaxe, 30 m rope.

$23 will purchase an individual shelter tool kit to be used in rebuilding.  Each kit includes: shovel, wire, hand saw, claw hammer, machete, nails, bucket, packing bag, chisel, work gloves, roofing nails.

$300 will purchase enough concrete and steel to help 1 family rebuild. Our engineers have determined that concrete and steel are an absolute must if these folks are to build earthquake resistant houses. 

$10,000 will clean out the mudslides from the canals that feed 500 hectares (1235 acres) of rice fields.  These fields need to be replanted as soon as possible or this tragedy will be greatly compounded.

Friends, ultimately, it’s our hope that God puts one of these areas or a particular ministry on your heart with which you feel lead to help.  In any case, won’t you please join us in prayer that these needs will be met?

To make a donation via check please send all checks to:

Food for the Hungry
1224 E. Washington St
Phoenix, AZ 85034
Attn: Shawnee Ziegler

Please put "Indonesia Relief" on the Memo line.