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PADANG, Indonesia – In the weeks following the two devastating earthquakes that hit the Indonesian island of Sumatra last month, aid workers have poured in from around the globe to help survivors recover and start to rebuild their lives.
Among those providing assistance were 12 employees from Ford Motor Indonesia (FMI) who travelled to the hard-hit city of Padang in October.
''It's difficult to even describe the scene when we arrived in Padang,'' said Yedy Sondy, sales director, FMI. ''Everywhere we looked we saw destruction caused by the earthquakes, and this was hard to take in. But after being briefed by ACT (Care for Humanity), we set out to do what we came for – which was to help improve the lives of those who were left.''
The FMI volunteers spent five days putting up tents for survivors, cleaning public areas such as schools and mosques, and distributing food to those in need. The team also assisted with trauma healing classes for families and organised activities to help children in the community.
The volunteers met up with staff at the Ford Padang dealership to discuss the situation and help find solutions to the obstacles they faced. Though the Ford Padang dealership sustained only minimal damage from the earthquake, the FMI volunteers helped clean-up the area.
''Meeting with staff from Ford Padang was emotional for all of us. We listened to their stories of survival, and we talked about their losses. Just by being there, we showed them that they had the support of the entire Ford community as they set out to rebuild their lives,'' said Bambang Sumitro, director, Human Resources, FMI.
Employees at FMI raised funds and material relief for earthquake victims in Padang. The donations were handed over to staff at Ford Padang by the FMI volunteers. FMI also supported the relief efforts by lending vehicles to relief organisations on the ground to transport aid to hard-to-reach areas.
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| Temporary shelters |
Children play inside a tent. |
FMI volunteers distribute food. |
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| FMI volunteers in front of the ACT Care for Humanity shelter in Padang. |
One of many damaged houses in Padang. |
A temporary school |
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| A village of 200 is wiped out by a landslide following the earthquake. |
Ford Ranger transports aid to hard-to-access areas. |
FMI volunteer Wahid Suharyoko assists with the clean-up efforts. |