Domed village safe haven after quake

Sun, 06/08/2008 10:06 AM | Lifestyle

The white domed houses of New Nglepen sit squat against an azure sky and you wonder if you have stepped into a Tunisian landscape here in Prambanan, Yogyakarta.

These are the new homes built after the 2006 earthquake that shattered lives across much of Central Java and Yogyakarta. Nglepen was hard hit during the earthquake with most homes lost. The community has now been moved to New Nglepen and its domed houses.

Funded by WANGO, a non-governmental organization and private donors, the domed village is one of Indonesia's first forays into domed buildings and a great success, according to the villagers. They say the double-story houses are a cool retreat from the blistering heat outside.

Streets here in New Nglepen are swept clean and there is a great sense of pride in this new born community -- a community that has survived the earthquake's devastation that turned so many lives to dust. Gardens are alive with flowers and crops and the villagers say their futures are brighter than ever. The old isolation of Nglepen is behind them with transportation available, neighbors, toilets, a clinic and mosque close by. People living in New Nglepen now sleep well at night in their earthquake proof domes.