Robin: "The Bumi Sehat free walk-in clinic in Cot Seulamat, Sama Tiga, Aceh, serves an average of 70 patients per day.  The rolling staff consists of volunteers from all over the world, based out of Bali.  The Aceh staff is growing and will give solidity to our dream of sustainability. 

This clinic is a neutral place where tsunami victims, host families, military personnel, and the most marginalized peoples feel comfortable coming for help.  Some of them are very sick, or have infected injuries.  There are an increasing number of malaria victims.  Others are pregnant, most all the people we saw were malnourished.  100% were traumatized.  For many just telling their story, saying the names of their dead children and wives, brothers, sisters, mothers, uncles, gave enough comfort to allow them a night’s sleep, finally.

"The list below may give you an idea of the international scope of the
Yayasan Bumi Sehat team members. Besides running a general health clinic,
in our Safe Motherhood/ infant survival project, we provide a bridge between the
Acehnese internally displaced Tsunami survivors and the large international
NGOs who are there trying to help with recovery. We provide communications
with the people, and try to discover their locations (roads are destroyed ­ finding where
the people have gathered is often tough). We also help determine who has
potable water, food, how much, for how long etc.

The clinic also serves as a human resource center. We also provide transportation into the small mostly wiped-out city of Meulaboh ­ for hospitalization, supplies, to get the surviving community leaders in touch with the NGO services. All too often people go without food and water due to lack of communication and logistical problems inherent when working in a disaster zone.

Here are our present or recent team members in Aceh (many of whom are volunteers):
Ida Tanjung Indonesian
Eric Gansen Dutch
Rowena Harvest Canadian
Dr. Carolyn DeMarco Canadian
Noel Bernhardt Iowan
Zion Lee Iowan
Thor Hemmerle Iowan
Agustian Sumatran
Louise Noorbergen Australian
Cheryl Cooper Australian
Bidan Jenny Javanese Christian
Bidan Indah Javanese Muslim

Melanie Templer British
Robin Lim Filipino/ American
Kelly Carleen Dunn and Josh Dunn Canadian
William Joseph Hemmerle New Jersey (is that a country?)
Deja Cresencia Bernhardt MUM Graduate
Red Carmi Israel
Pak Chakra: Balinese
Dr. Dariao Gomez Mexican
Sandyasa Balinese
Christine Foster American
Ari Teuku Achenese
Ibu Aysa Achenese
Isnyadi (orphaned child we employ and keep in school)
Bang Hanifi (lost his wife, children and all extended family)

Organizations we work with in Aceh include:
WALHI (Indonesian Friends of the Earth)
Orangutan Information Center
Yayasan ANISA (Anisa means "woman")
International Red Cross Red Crescent provides free plane rides
Spanish Red Cross Water and Sanitation
OxFam ­ for potable water
International Organization for Migration
CRS (Catholic Relief Services)
Global Relief
World Food Bank
United Nations ­ mapping well salinity
Mentor ­ provides malaria rapid tests and medications
IDEP ­Indonesian Educational Development and Permaculture)

back to top

"We so appreciate you keeping us in the hearts of people in the United States"