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Home > Tsunami Reconstruction > Project Updates > Singapore National Co-operative Federation

Procurement of 8 fishing boats, 2 rice mills, 2 hand tractors and 2 trucks for Aceh and Nias Island

Friday, 30. January 2009By Miss Dawn Kor, Manager, Singapore National Co-operative Federation

The Tsunami catastrophe that took place in year 2004 took 139,946 lives in Nangroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) alone. 94,994 people went missing and 668,470 hectares of land were destroyed in the same area. The disaster also destroyed the logistics network of the co-operatives which play an important role in the socio-economic aspect of the people of Aceh and Nias Island, especially in the rural and agricultural areas.

In view of above, DEKOPIN (Dewan Koperasi Indonesia) - the apex body for the Indonesian co-operative movement, sought the help of its Singapore counterpart, SNCF (Singapore National Co-operative Federation), to plan and launch a Tsunami recovery aid programme for the fishing and farming cooperatives in Aceh & Nias Island.

On behalf of DEKOPIN, SNCF seek help from Singapore Red Cross Society (SRCS), whom is the custodian for Tidal Waves Asia Fund (TWAF). The recovery aid programme undertaken by SNCF/DEKOPIN commenced in August 2007 as one of the Post Tsunami (2004) Project for Aceh and Nias Island. The total project cost S$814,117 of which S$645,077 (80%) was funded by SRCS through TWAF. The remaining $169,039.60 (20%) was co-funded by DEKOPIN. The funds were put into good use with the procurement of 8 fishing boats for 8 co-operatives in Aceh, which will help 1,177 co-op members to recover their means of livelihood. The procurement also includes 2 rice mills, 2 trucks and 2 hand tractors that will benefit 2 co-operatives (comprising members) in both Nias and Aceh.

SNCF is proud to work hand in hand with DEKOPIN and SRCS to see through the completion of this project, which was completed in December 2008. Mr Seah Kian Peng, chairman of SNCF, said, “Concern for Community is a key principle of co-operatives and SNCF has always been a strong advocate of this principle. Extending humanitarian assistance to our fellow co-operatives in the neighbouring countries, in this instance Indonesia, is an extension of our service to communities beyond our shores. With this financial assistance through the Singapore Red Cross Society, we hope it will go a long way in helping to improve the livelihood of the families and members of the co-operatives whom had been adversely affected by the 2004 Tsunami.”

The fishing boats and equipment given to the co-operatives will have twin benefits: (1) The ownership of these equipment will boost the spirit of community, giving them the ability to regenerate their livelihood after the Tsunami and (2) ensuring that these boats and equipments will be put into good use and maximising its full capacity.

Mr Adi Sasano, chairman of DEKOPIN, expressed his gratitude. “I extend my deepest thanks to the people of Singapore, SRCS and SNCF by giving us these equipments. I believe these will be of utmost benefit to invigorate the livelihood of the co-op members in Aceh and Nias. The fishing boats, rice mills, hand tractors and trucks will replace the previous assets that were lost and damaged by the tsunami and earthquakes. This collaboration not only helps in strengthening the relations between the co-operative movements of the two countries but also help improve the lives of the people of Aceh and Nias in the years to come.”