How can you help earthquake survivors?

Today I visited Ulakan village for the second time and, again, I saw many worried faces among the survivors in earthquake-affected communities. Tents fashioned from tarpaulins and plastic bags are still standing in front of their houses, makeshift homes for entire families.

Each visit I make to these devastated places is so meaningful to me, and our whole team is working so hard to bring help to these families. Today, we delivered relief supplies to survivors in Ulakan and another.

Driving in a truck filled with recovery kits, the team arrived in Ulakan late in the afternoon. It was getting dark when we unloaded these kits — which included wheelbarrows, shovels, hoes, saws and other equipment — that will help the community in clearing the debris and get started on rebuilding their damaged houses.

As we stacked the recovery kits for the distribution, some of the worried faces turned into smiles.

Elok, a local fish farmer, returned to the Padang area with his family after working in Jakarta for more than 30 years. The earthquake destroyed one of his fish ponds and severely damaged another. He's beginning to repair the damaged pond with tools he received today from Mercy Corps. Photo: Elpido Soplantila/Mercy Corps

Hundreds of people were gathered in a school yard waiting to take the kits home. Men, women and even children helped each other during the distribution activities. It was not difficult to talk to the people, for all of them expressed their gratitude for receiving assistance from Mercy Corps today.

I was taking pictures of the distribution when Elok, a 51-year-old man, came up to me and said, "Terima kasih" — thank you. He told me how the disaster affected his family a lot. He returned to Ulakan two years ago, after coming back from Jakarta where he worked for more than 30 years. Coming back here, where he is originally from, was a family decision in order to start a new life. Elok owns two fish ponds, which he uses to support his wife and five children. But the earthquake destroyed one pond and the other is severely damaged, yet repairable.

“The tools you distributed today mean a lot to me," Elok said. "I’ve planned to start clearing the debris and repairing the ponds. Because of your support, I feel optimistic that people out there still care about us. I will use the tools immediately."

Suddenly I realized just how badly the earthquake has affected communities like Ulakan. It’s not only about losing houses and loved ones, but losing jobs and a way of life. Thousands of people lost their livelihoods. Many are still confused about how they'll continue their lives.

I’m proud that Mercy Corps is giving villagers like Elok this new opportunity, but also realize that they will need support and assistance for a long time after today. Not only do they have to clean and restore their communities, but also rebuild their homes and restart their work, all while earning income for their families.

It's a hard road ahead for earthquake survivors here. How can you help?