A New Beginning in Sigli
6 December 2006
A celebration marks the handover of Oxfam's Sigli program to the communities.
At the end of August 2006, hundreds of people from the town of Sigli and surrounding villages gathered to celebrate an important milestone: the handover of Oxfam's Sigli-area tsunami projects to the communities.
"It's always good news when an aid organization is able to hand over to its beneficiaries and complete its program," says Pamela Young, Oxfam program manager.
Two-thirds of Sigli, which is home to almost 14,000 people, was destroyed by the tsunami. Working together, Oxfam and community members have rebuilt more than 90 houses in neighboring villages, constructed nearly 400 toilets, repaired the public health infrastructure, reopened more than 100 bathing facilities, repaired 250 wells, installed 40 incinerators, and constructed a drainage system.
Oxfam funded a program to distribute nearly 400 cash grants to women and men to open street stalls, start new businesses such as selling peanuts or collecting mussels, and revitalize traditional crafts such as mat-weaving. Oxfam also trained groups of women and local NGOs to develop their business skills and boost their confidence as small-scale entrepreneurs.
Oxfam's public health promotion team trained water and sanitation committees in three villages and five baraks (temporary barracks), provided advice on simple treatments for diarrhea, and established more than 140 hygiene clubs to educate children through puppet shows, sports, and art. The health team also distributed bed nets and sprayed for mosquitoes to combat the threats of malaria and dengue fever.
"We worked together with communities to plan activities, carry out trainings, and implement projects," explains Young. "Communities helped to identify the people in greatest need. We also spent a lot of time consulting with male and female community representatives before projects started. And we kept everyone informed as work progressed."
The community of Sigli has now taken over responsibility for the various activities, which have so far assisted 15,000 people.
Noni Delfina, a team leader for the Oxfam livelihoods program survived the tsunami but lost her older brother. Noni has seen many changes since she joined the program, especially among the women. "When they received the grants, they became more confident," she says. "They were happy, not only because of the money, but because it made them free to work and because people cared about them."
December 2006
