Tsunami survivors start over: Women use UNDP 'Cash for Work' earnings for businesses

Fauzia and her husband invested her UNDP 'Cash for Work' earnings in basic foodstuffs to sell to neighbours - they're now doing a roaring trade.

Banda Aceh, Indonesia, 21 June 2005 —Several tsunami survivors who have participated in UNDP’s Cash for Work programme have invested their earnings in new businesses. Although the wages paid by the programme are modest for their efforts to clear rubble, mend boats and fishing nets and clear land—they are paid 35,000 RP per day (about US$3.50)—some have managed to save and invest in new businesses which are now providing them with a steady income and the basis for a new post-tsunami future.

We visited one group of women whom UNDP employed for three months to clean the hospital. All are tsunami survivors, and most are now living in temporary government built accommodation, known as barracks. They get a room per family and access to water, cooking areas and sanitation. These are just a few examples of how they are using the cash they earned to built a new life.

Fauziah tells her story: “My husband and I had just got married when the tsunami hit. We had a house – it was small but it was ours – in Banda Aceh. He worked in construction, and I made and sold cookies. Our house was completely destroyed in the tsunami. We went back and managed to salvage some furniture, but that was all. We decided several months ago that we would try to open our own shop to provide a living, but we had no money. Then I found out about the work at the hospital. Over three months working there, I managed to save 700,000 RP (about $70). We spent the money on stock for our little stall here – coffee, washing power, sweets – just basic things like that. We sell mostly to other families here in the barracks – it’s convenient for them because they don’t have to go all the way into town to buy supplies, and we are doing really well. We’re the only shop here, so there’s no competition! We actually made back our 700,000 RP within a week of opening. That means we’ve got enough money to live on, which is a huge relief – we don’t have to worry about money any more. We’re also making enough to go on saving, probably for a new house.”

Eva and Ann at work: sitting on the mats covering the rough wooden floor of Eva's room in the barracks, the two ladies carefully thread beads by hand to create their products

A new business niche: beaded cell phone holders

“We were friends with Eva before the tsunami, but it wasn’t till we ended up living in the same barracks that we had the idea of working together, " said Ann, another tsunami survivor. Both our houses were completely destroyed – we only survived because we were both out shopping at the time. Before the tsunami, Eva used to work making little toys out of beads for a local shop. This idea to start our own business was her idea – she taught me how to make the little animals, the necklaces and phone holders that we’re making now. We borrowed a million rupiah (US$100) from a friend and went to Medan (the nearest big city to Aceh) to buy beads and all the supplies we needed.

Then we found out about the 'Cash for Work' project at the hospital. After three months, we’ve saved enough to pay off our debt and give us enough to live on while we develop the business. At the moment, we’re developing designs and working mainly on commission. Our mobile phone holders are proving particularly popular. We do everything by hand but we’re getting quicker – we can make three or four mobile phone holders in a day now, and now we’ve finished working at the hospital we can work on producing full time. We are planning to target engaged couples as our main market – it’s a local tradition that when people get married, they give all their guests a small present to mark the occasion, and our keyrings would make the perfect gift. We are aiming to open our own shop – we’ve surveyed some areas locally and found a suitable place where there’s no competition, and we’ll try to move in as soon as we’ve made enough money to afford it. We’re not turning a profit yet, but we will soon. We’re also thinking of starting to import and sell clothes from Medan on the side.”