Quake victims get help to rebuild homes

The Jakarta Post , Yogyakarta | Sat, 09/27/2008 12:00 PM | The Archipelago

What set the Java Reconstruction Fund (JRF)-financed and state-funded rehabilitation and reconstruction programs in post-earthquake Yogyakarta and Central Java apart from those in tsunami-hit Aceh was the victims' direct involvement in the planning, design and implementation of rehabilitation and reconstruction programs.

The community-based Settlement Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Project (CSRRP) in Bantual, Yogyakarta, and Klaten, Central Java, supported community planning to select and prioritize beneficiaries and develop community settlement reconstruction plans.

The World Bank, which is in charge of managing the JRF has had many experiences in community-driven development in Indonesia with its Kecamatan Development Project and its 1998 Urban Poverty Alleviation Project.

Community-based development enhances decision-making and management at the local level. No complex rules, just simple strategies and methods. Activities aim at allowing grassroot decisions to be made regarding what projects are needed and wanted.

This concept is designed to promote good governance, transparency, participation in local level decision-making and increased accountability.

"Empowering local people can contribute to achieving the goal of a harmonious society. This is vitally important because sudden changes, such as those caused by the earthquake, can adversely affect trust, a critical component of the social fabric that sustains a community," said Soetatwo Hadiwigeno, chairman of the National Technical Team.

The team, which was in charge of implementing and overseeing the state-funded CSRRP in Yogyakarta and Central Java, also used the community-based development approach.

The earthquake victims received block grants through their community groups according to their needs, and funds were disbursed in installments based on progress through bank accounts which were in the names of the leader and treasurer elected by the group.

This approach supported effective targeting and transparency through social accountability.

Under the JRF-funded and the state-financed CSRRP, people formed community groups, each consisting of between eight and 15 families. Each group selected its own leader and opened a bank account through which housing reconstruction funds were transferred.

Through the consultative process, each group planned, prioritized their needs and determined the best way to share the money because the housing construction fund was disbursed in three installments.

Each community group was assisted by two facilitators, one in charge of social matters and financial management and the other supervising house construction, verifying that each house was earthquake resistant.

"We ourselves decided through consultations that the first to receive the first installment for house reconstruction were those with small children," Relo Setiasih said, a beneficiary from Wirokerten in Bantul.

Setiasih showed The Jakarta Post recently the standard accounts and invoices that her group, like other groups, was required to keep as reports of accountability.

"Our activities, like other community groups, are constantly supervised by facilitators assigned to assist us in meeting building standards, processing building permits and other administrative matters," Setiasih added.

Through this program, the earthquake victims gained much more than the construction of their houses. They have gained experience in a collaborative process which enables them to articulate their aspirations and to stand up against malfeasance.

Special Reports Page-16

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