Photo 4

This is Zulkifi and his wife Umi Fatlah . They express extreme gratitude for the assistance in rebuilding their house and their lives.

Zulkifi and Umi Fatlah also live in the village of Pucok Luong. Zulkifi was working when the tsunami came. Like Rattmawati, he and his wife were told to run after the earthquake, taking refugee in the mosque where they were found their children and knew they were all safe, “ three of our children were in the home and I was worried for them, but at the at the mosque they were all there, hiding in the roof”.

Zulkifi returned to his house in the afternoon after the tsunami. “I came back and found my home destroyed, there was mess everywhere and corpses all along the road”. Many of these bodies where from nearby villages had been carried to Pucok Luong by the water.

Zulkifi and Umi Fatlah work as farm labourers, but if it rains, there is no work, and no pay, making it very hard to ensure a secure livelihood. Zulkifi and Umi Fatlah are grateful for all the assistance they have received. Zulkifi says it is hard to find the words to send a message except “thank you so much for helping us, we are very grateful for what people outside have done to help us.”