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and then, there was ONE.
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charity
CharityThe sun beat down relentlessly on my back while I moved the bricks over to the other side. The sky was cloudless, the sea is calm, the birds are chirping happily on the trees overhead. After I unloaded the bricks from the wheelbarrow onto the pile in front, I stretched my aching muscles and looked to the skies. Oh, how good this life is! I thought wistfully. I thought back to when I first came to this land. Acheh was originally a beautiful place of history and traditional culture. After being ravaged by the recent tsunami, it was in ruins. The usually populated and lively streets were void of any life, the backyards of the houses absent of the sounds of children playing around. Witnessing this funereal scene myself, I could not help but sympathise with the locals. At first, I had wanted to come to Acheh with my friends, in a bid to escape the urban hustle-bustle. It seemed like a good idea at that time, to come help with the relief efforts, devoting these few weeks to charity. When I arrived, I was glad that I did make the decision to come. The scene at the refugee site was dreary. The locals were sprawled on the floor, some hugging together for more warmth, some openly crying, bemoaning the loss of their beloved homes. Originally, I thought that we would be received as heroes, as their saviours. Then after seeing them in such a state, I knew then, that I was wrong. What these people needed were not saviours, nor heroes, they needed help. Honest, sincere help from people who really cared, not from people who only wanted to gain fame through charity. While we waited for the construction materials to be sent over from the mainland, we mingled amongst the locals and even made a few close friends. From them, I got to know the rich culture and history of Acheh, Indonesia. Then, Mother Nature took it all away from them in a night with a devastating tsunami crashing down from above, washing away all their lives. It was like pulling the rug from underneath, you just fall down on the floor, and you are hurt everywhere. This was the situation of the locals. However, what impressed me the most was their tenacity and belief in their Gods. They believed that their Gods were testing them. They believed that they had to survive through this period of time, but they were not religious fanatics, they simply believed in the charity of their Gods, to forgive, as well as to punish, the people for their mistakes. Even through all these hardship, the locals retained their practices. They still went about their morning routines as usual, making do with what they could find from Nature. When the construction materials arrived by helicopter, the children rushed over to look at the helicopter. We all laughed at such innocence and curiosity expressed by the children, inwardly mocking ourselves for being so cynical. Then, everyone helped with the unloading of the materials. It was only here that I witnessed what the phrase, “working together” really meant. Everyone, even the children, helped in the process, in their own little ways. These children ran back and forth the site, bringing food and water to the relief workers as well as the local men. The women worked hard in the makeshift kitchens, preparing and cooking food, enough for everyone on site. The rebuilding process was an uphill task. To begin with, we had to first destroy the remains of the houses. In a way, this meant destroying their memories of their original lives and building new ones, with their own hands. This took us about two weeks to accomplish. Then, we had to consult the on site architect on the building process. Once everyone was briefed, we went about our jobs. In the end, my friends and I stayed past the original departure date. We felt that they needed us more. Even though we missed our families and friends in the mainland, we felt that this charity we were devoting our time to, was worth it. Together with the locals, we laid the first brick on the land. To all of us, it was quite a momentous occasion. It was a culmination of all of our efforts for the past few weeks and at last, the real rebuilding of their lives was about to begin. Suddenly, I was jolted back to the present by a poke in my ribs. A child was tugging at my shirt to go see something he had just found. Ruffling his hair affectionately, I followed him as he led me to his recent discovery. Looking around, I saw the village slowly taking shape with the foundations laid and the frames of the houses already built. In a sense, my friends and I, we did rebuild our lives too. All the past misconceptions we had of relief efforts overseas as well as charity initiatives, they were all corrected by our experience in this land of forgotten beauty, Acheh. Together with its people, Acheh had shown us the true nature of man, that we were indeed pack animals to begin with, and we could actually work together without conflicts too. It is true, that tragedy unites people, now more than ever. We never did think that we could learn and achieve so much in this trip to help the refugees of Acheh. What we have learnt, what we have experienced, it cannot be reproduced anywhere else. No one else can experience what we have experienced, without being there with us. In a way, we were the privileged lot living with the refugees, not the nouveau riche enjoying small servings of caviar and chauffeured around in polished limousines. Oh, how this experience has changed me. Not only outwardly,my tanned and more toned physique, but also inwardly, my thinking and perceptions towards certain matters. I am sure that when I return home, I will be able to live life to the fullest, and let go of my petty complaints and dislikes. Instead, building up unbreakable bonds between my family and friends, so that even tragedies will not be able to break us apart, just like the strong-willed Acheh locals who had persevered through. |