Indonesia

Country Information

Founded: 800 (As a unified “state”)
Independence (from both Japanese and Dutch control): 1945
Land Area: 1,826,440 Square Kilometers (nearly three times the size of Texas)
Climate: Tropical, hot and humid, though moderate in highland mountain areas
Agricultural Land Usability: 11%
Natural Hazards: Severe flooding, severe droughts, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes, forest fires
Environmental issues: water pollution from industrial waste and sewage

The People

Population: 245,452,739
Infant Mortality Rate: 35 deaths / 1000 births
Life Expectancy: 70 years
Major Diseases: high risk bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, Typhoid Fever, Dengue Fever, Malaria, chikungunya. H5N1 type avian flu poses minimal risk to humans
Religions: 88% Muslim, 5% Roman Catholic, 3% Hindu, 1% Buddhist
Literacy Rate: 88%
Unemployment rate: 12%
Population below the UN-established Poverty Line: 17%

Special Conditions

There are still 570,000 people displaced from the December 2004 Tsunami and 500,000 from military conflicts in Aceh.

Identifying the Need

The devastation of the 2004 Tsunami will have long-lasting effects. It may take a decade to recover and rebuild many areas. The devastation in some areas is so complete that there are not even foundations of houses remaining. This condition was worsened by the earthquakes in March 2005 and then again in May of 2006.

Though only 17% of the citizens are determined to be at or below the poverty line, this number masks the heavy situation of food need created by the Tsunami.

We must work to help Indonesians rebuild their cities, Mosques and provide food aid and schooling for those devastated by one of the most devastating natural disasters in human history.

A great deal of the work done by The Zakat Foundation has taken place in the Acheh/Sumatra region with our team from Turkey as well as local partner organization PKPU. The operations began following the Tsunami of 2004 and have incorporated programs on Ramadan and during the Eid al-Adha.

It is our hope that Indonesians will grow to know The Zakat Foundation and its donors as a primary force in the rebuilding process.

Ramadan Programs

We have provided Iftar and food packages for Indonesians in need across the Sumatra and Acheh regions. The people of Indonesia are eager to receive aid particularly following the devastation of the Tsunami when food supplies have been so scarce from within the country.

Udhiya/Qurbani Programs

Udhiya meats are a definite comfort to those who have lost everything from the Tsunami and repeat earthquakes. Across the country of Indonesia there are dire shortages of livestock which causes the price for residents to be extremely high. With such an impoverished condition aggravated by the natural disasters of the recent years, Udhiya meats are an essential source of nutrition.

Tsunami and Earthquake Relief

Across the world tides were affected, people were aghast at the devastation and lives were forever altered by the Tsunami of December 27th, 2004. Indonesia particularly was hit very hard; with over 200,000 dead and millions turned into homeless refugees overnight.

The Zakat Foundation sought to be a leading team in the region, dispatched from Istanbul, Turkey we were one of the first to arrive in Acheh/Sumatra ready to help. Soon after arrivel we were able to get into the most heavily affected zones and provide aid quickly. Immediately our teams began distributing food, clean water, powdered milk and antibiotics.

Through the days to come we continued with emergency aid and assisted with development and rebuilding plans. While digging wells to provide clean water, it was decided along with our local partner to construct homes for the victims.

The Village of Hope

At a cost of $170,000 the Village of Hope was constructed to care for over 500 people and 100 orphans and 50 administrators and educators. The village is fully equipped, with a Masjid, kitchen facilities and a bathing facility.

The Village of Hope was completely finished and the key given to the residents in March of 2005. Then Zakat Foundation continued supporting the victims of Tsunami by sending medical teams and medicines and by providing Ramadan iftar meals and Udhiya meats.

School or Mosque Building

There are intense plans in the works to help the people of Banda Acheh build a new school or a Mosque to replace ones that were destroyed in the Tsunami.

Please contribute to this program as a source of sadaqa jariyah.

$20,000 will construct a school or a Mosque to serve the population very well.