In Focus

At the end of this month, crisis phase in Mentawai Islands should end. It has been five months after the earthquakes and tsunamis that hit Mentawai Islands, West Sumatra on October 25, 2010. However, the survivors are still living in a poor condition in emergency shelters and lack of basic infrastructure such as sanitation and clean water facilities.

Jeremias, 62, is thirsty as he stands in thick mud on the washed-out logging road looking at CWS’ water-delivery truck. The truck is stuck. His community depends on this truck, which delivers 5000 liters of water per day to the 389 villagers who survived the last tsunami. If the truck breaks down or can’t get through, the villagers depend entirely on rainwater catchments situated under the roof of their transitional houses. That might be enough except, even though this is the rainforest, it doesn’t always rain.

A boy smiling as he gets clean water in the camps where he is temporarily staying with his family following the earthquakes and tsunamis. CWS has been implementing water trucking to provide clean water to 2535 villagers both in South and North Pagai Islands.
(Harun Tambing/ CWS Indonesia)

The villagers from Sabeu Gunggung of North Pagai used to spend their time fishing and farming, growing cacao and patchouli leaves to sell. They spend their time now waiting. They have just been relocated a week ago to this temporary IDP camp KM 10 up the isolated logging road, and no one knows how long they will stay there or where the government will move them next. They depend on this water-delivery truck.

Jeremias has been through earthquakes and tsunamis before, most recently in 2007, and he is grateful that he had relatively minor injuries, a deep gash in his ear and a painful cut on his machete-carrying hand. Even without medical treatment, his wounds have healed. His wife and 18-year old daughter are safe in the village, waiting for him to return with provisions, and waiting for what will come next. And he waits to see how the truck will get unstuck.

Jeremias is waiting for durable solution to his water problem following earthquakes and tsunami in Mentawai Islands
(Bonnie K. Carenen/ CWS Indonesia)

CWS’ back-up vehicle arrives with 4x4-towing capacity, and helps tow the truck out of the mud. The water-delivery continues. He says, “I’m glad you made it through today,” as CWS staffers connect the hose from the water truck to the enormous waiting water bladder which will mean security for this community in the face of uncertainty. “Thank you,” he gets some fresh water and a ride back to his family and community at km 10.

Meanwhile on South Pagai, the other island of Mentawai, another community also relies on CWS’ water trucking as there has not been any sustainable solution yet set up in most relocation areas.

Sitepanus Taileleu, 54, has six daughters and a smile that is genuine and contagious. Before the 2010 earthquakes and tsunamis, he lived in the seaside hamlet of Kinumbuk of South Pagai Island of Mentawai. He worked as a farmer and fisherman, and was able to provide for all his family’s needs. He grew cocoa to sell and coconuts, peanuts, sweet potatoes, and vegetables to eat. “I had a very good home. I had everything I needed: a garden, chairs…but now, nothing.”

Sitepanus telling us that he has six children with his fingers. He is one of the displaceds waiting for the local government to decide on relocation for the tsunami survivors whose house destroyed.
(Bonnie K. Carenen/ CWS Indonesia)

“We ran for two days. My wife was six months pregnant. It was very difficult for us.” His community was relocated 44 km up an old logging road, far from the coast. During the first month after the disaster, the villagers stayed in a transitional camp near a pond, which they used for all their cooking and hygiene needs. “We had nothing, so we just prayed. It was the only thing to do.” Everything they had, from the tents they lived in to the mats they slept on, and the tarps they used to collect rainwater, and the food to eat, was provided through disaster response efforts of NGO’s and the Indonesian government.

The government re-relocated the fifty families at the beginning of the year, two km from the previous site. They had to start all over to secure their water source and construct more durable houses. “We are 300 meters from the river, it is very far for us,” says Sitepanus. CWS has responded to this community’s needs with 2000-liter water tanks, which CWS fills and maintains twice daily.

Sitepanus is still worried in case the government moves the village again, but he is hopeful. He wants to start a garden again, and enjoy his family. “We have no way to earn money here. It is very difficult. But I don’t have to hurry anymore.”

CWS plans to install a more long-lasting solution for water access: a generator-operated water pump that will bring water right to the edge of the community. Reliable access to water will be available for everyone, every day.