In September 2018, a powerful earthquake triggered a tsunami which devastated Palu Bay on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. More than 4,000 people were killed and thousands were left homeless. Following the disaster, the government proposed the relocation of the most at-risk coastal communities, including residents of Mamboro Perikanan Village. The relocation site, however, was 5km inland and too far from the villagers’ primary source of income.
Working with non-governmental organisation Arkom Indonesia, the community selected an alternative location in the safe zone that would enable them to earn income from the sea – mostly fishing, drying and selling fish. Their proposal – part of Arkom’s Building Homes Collectively for Better Habitat project – was accepted by local government and the survivors were actively involved in the design and construction of 38 earthquake-resistant homes. The new houses were completed in December 2020 and have so far withstood shocks below 5 on the Richter Scale.
The total cost of the project was approximately IDR 8.4 billion ($586,516 USD) funded through donations and grants from the Air Asia Foundation, Palu City government, Sheep Indonesia Foundation, and the Research and Development Centre of the Ministry of Public Works and Housing. Each household makes monthly payments into a Community Development Fund used for the community’s long-term educational, economic and housing needs. The success of the project has prompted a change in official policy, that could give thousands more people the opportunity to decide how and where to rebuild their lives.
