|
“Then we trained them to get skills in how to build a safe house. When they have money in the future, they can develop the house we’ve given them, and make an extension based on those safe house principles,” said Harris.
It is up to villagers how they use their completed community centres. Most serve as a venue for meetings and training sessions and they can also play an important role in emergencies, as a place for people to gather and organise rescue and relief.
Generating cash for development
The Red Cross implemented its safe housing programme in the tsunami-affected village of Seurapong on Pulo Breuh island, northern Aceh, in 2007. Community members formed a committee which decided to construct one multi-function building and selected a site in the centre of the 94-household village.
With support from a Red Cross team, they finalised the design and construction budget, and received training to upgrade their building skills. The Red Cross provided financial assistance for the purchase of materials, monitored progress and made regular quality checks.
The community workers followed best-practice construction procedures. They used high-quality building materials, paying close attention to the composition of cement and the accuracy of design and measurements. Training and construction activity took four months and the project was completed in December 2007.
The new building consists of two rooms - one is used by the village committee to run a co-operative store; the other is rented to a villager to run a coffee shop. The income generated goes into a village development fund and the committee takes care of the day-to-day management and maintenance of the structure. The villagers say the building they constructed is very safe and has withstood several small earthquakes.
More about preparing communities for disasters after the tsunami
Find out about planting coconut palms in Indonesia
Read about our tsunami work | 
