Naibonat, Kab. Kupang, NTT, September 14, 2021 – Tropical Cyclone Seroja hit the East Nusa Tenggara area in early April 2021. The sea storm that first reached the mainland severely destroyed various buildings, public facilities, and people’s houses. Thousands of families have been forced to flee because they have lost their homes. The fact is that until now, the recovery process for families affected by this disaster is still not over. Many still struggle to live in huts, tents, and relatives’ places with minimal facilities.
The Groundbreaking Event for this program was held on Sep14 with representatives from Local Governments, partners, and Habitat as the audiences on-site and online. Susanto Samsudin, National Director of Habitat for Humanity Indonesia said, “A home is a basic need that must be owned after a disaster because it is used as a shelter and restore conditions. Even in a pandemic situation, the house is essential to avoid the virus by staying at home. We must feel what they feel. A positive impact can occur for the families of disaster survivors in NTT if we all participate. Driven by the spirit of unity as one nation and brothers in Indonesia, Habitat Indonesia invites more people to play a role in helping them.”
Post-disaster recovery takes a long time and requires support from all parties. Habitat for Humanity Indonesia wants to help families in NTT recover faster from disasters by building decent housing. In collaboration with the Wahana Visi Indonesia Foundation, donor partners, the Kupang Regency Government, and the community, Habitat Indonesia will start building decent houses for the affected families. Until 2022, there will be 97 new homes built, and 20 houses renovated in Naibonat, Oesao, and Takari, in Kupang Regency, East Nusa Tenggara.
Angelina Theodora, National Director & CEO of Wahana Visi Indonesia, also said,
“A partnership between Habitat for Humanity Indonesia and Wahana Visi Indonesia focus on building 100 homes to provide an appropriate response to the needs of the community after the disaster. Today is symbolically started house construction activities, which positively illustrates a good commitment and cooperation between various stakeholders in Kupang Regency. We hope that living in a safe and comfortable home will accelerate the recovery process for families affected by disaster and support the recovery of post-disaster children to be able to live fully intact in Naibonat Village, East Kupang District.”
The collaboration carried out by Habitat for Humanity Indonesia, and Wahana Visi Indonesia focuses on restoring the condition of the community, especially in Kupang Regency. This was welcomed by Drs. Korinus Masneno, Regent of Kupang Regency, in his opening remarks, “People have lost their homes due to Tropical Cyclone Seroja in Naibonat, Oesao, and Takari Villages. On behalf of the local government, I am grateful for God’s love through these two institutions’ initiatives to build livable houses and renovate dilapidated houses.
Until now, there is still a need for funds for ongoing development; everyone is invited to see how a sense of unity as a nation can drive significant changes, especially a faster recovery process for those affected by disasters in NTT. One Nusa, One Taste, because NTT is Us!