Support to the Indonesian NGO, “Yayasan Pijar Harapan Lhoong”, and development of the Lhoong Sub-District Community Resource Center – Aceh Province – Sumatra

• Funding: Fondation de France
• Global budget: 80 K€
• Duration: 12 months (March 2008 to april 2009)

Out of the 28 villages forming Lhoong, the tsunami crushed 24. The 29 year old conflict between the independentists and the Indonesian government had already weakened the province, particularly in the rural regions such as Lhoong (the peace agreements were signed in 2005).
In response to the tsunami disaster, and thanks to sponsorship from the Fondation de France and the French Embassy in Jakarta, Triangle Génération Humanitaire implemented two psychosocial programmes in Lhoong sub-district, from February 2005 to July 2007. Lhoong is located south of the Aceh Besar region, on the west coast of Sumatra island in Indonesia. This rural region, far from Banda Aceh city, was literally demolished by the tsunami¹, and deeply scarred by the rural area’s long and active conflict.
The main objective of the two programmes was to help people rebuild themselves and their lives by re-creating a social link eroded by thirty years of conflict then brutally severed by the tsunami.

Both psychosocial programmes nurtured skills-transmission to the local communities. After creating a microfinance cooperative, BQBNL, and the local NGO, Yayasan Pijar Harapan Lhoong (YPHL), Triangle GH transferred the programme’s management to local level. The two grass-roots organisations are still active and receive informal guidance from Triangle’s team.

In July 2007, after Triangle GH’s departure, Yayasan Pijar Harapan Lhoong continued running the programme’s activities; Caritas Germany being the main sponsor till 2007. After a short interruption, Yayasan Pijar Harapan Lhoong resumed its action thanks to new support from Fondation de France and Triangle GH, as well as Caritas Germany.

Supporting Yayasan PHL allows us to develop the education level and solidarity connections at grass-roots level. In addition, it gives Yayasan the means to make its action sustainable. It can then meet the Ministry of Education’s standards and, by becoming a Community Training Center, benefit from the ministry of education’s funding as well as from other ministerial branches..

There are approximately 8,605 beneficiaries of this programme, all living in the Lhoong area.

¹ 24 out of 28 villages crushed, 35% of the population lost. In some villages, the death toll reached 60%.

General objective
Contribute to the development of the socio-educational level of the inhabitants of Lhoong sub-district

Specific objectives

• Support the development and the transmission of local skills
• Support social, mental and cultural development of the children
• Support sustainable development of civil society in the sub-district

Implemented activities

• Training center (PKBM) :
• Formal education: alphabetization and school support
• Non-formal vocational/practical training for adults and adolescents: sewing, embroidery, information technology, etc.
• Child centre:
• Educational activities for children: information technology, reading/writing, handicraft, photos, radio, diary, Indonesian language
• Cultural activities: traditional dances and music
• Library activities: reading, story telling, theatre, educational cinema…
• Community radio:
• Support to the community radio organisation

• Management support for Yayasan PHL
• One or several Indonesian experts will monitor Yayasan PHL’s activities. They will act as consultants/councillors to help the NGO develop its expertise.