WEEKLY SUMMARY

Aceh Relief Update No. 11: May 6, 2005:

Field Operations:

The cleanup of the 42 destroyed brick factories was completed last week in Neuheun with funds donated by GTZ of Germany. Construction of the new kilns and repair of the damaged ones has already begun.



We have started constructing a small storage centre to store the tools and building materials needed for the repair and construction of the 45 houses in Neuheun village another project sponsored by GTZ at a cost of $160,000. A mason and two civil engineers have been hired for the repair and the supervision of the construction work respectively.

AMURTEL have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with an international organization called IACO for the construction of one kindergarten and one primary school in Kaju village. AMURTEL has put in $20,000 and IACO will put in another $70,000 for the construction of the two schools. AMURTEL team members are still going to Neuheun, TVRI and Lampisan resettlement camps to conduct English classes, play groups and exercise classes for the children.



Didi Ananda Devanistha sent $13,900 for the construction of an AMURTEL kindergarten in Bada village for 80 children. The remaining $10,000 will come from AMURT's general funds.

AMURT has begun the cleanup of Durung village involving 70 villagers in a Cash for Work Program. The $5,500 project is sponsored by UNICEF and is expected to be completed in two weeks.

AMURT has joined up with a national NGO called Sunspirit in an organic farming livelihood project involving 629 families in Aceh Barat (West Aceh) District. The ambitious project includes cash for work, training in organic farming, production of organic fertilizers and creation of water catchments areas in eleven villages in three sub-districts that were affected by the Dec. 26th earthquake/tsunami. AMURT has already distributed kitchen kits to 145 families in the area and Sunspirit has been providing Cash for Work funds for the past one month in four of the targeted villages.

Twenty sewing machines have been donated to AMURTEL for a women's
livelihood project in Bada village. AMURTEL is trying to acquire funds for another 200 sewing machines for women who wish to restart their livelihoods and support their families.

The AMURT Primary School in Klieng Mueria awaits promised funding from the Jakarta International School and Saddleback Church (USA). Members of Saddleback will visit us by May 22nd to check on how far our plans for construction have progressed.

Dada Shiilabhadrananda, Banda Aceh