Planning for Aceh

Feb. 2nd 2005
Hanoman¹s 12th birthday

Dear family, loved ones,
Tsunami relief / Yayasan Bumi Sehat update:
In two days our "Mother/child survival" team will leave for Aceh. It
has been a wild ride getting ready. Much thanks to all the people who have
raised funds, and sent much needed supplies, Heather, Marie Z, Gina Catena,
Russ Smith, Josh, everyone at IDEP foundation, The Vitamin Angels, Orangutan
Information center in medan, John Fawcette Foundation, Yayasan WALHI, and
all the amazing silent donors, Those people here in Bali and all over the
planet who have worked so hard toward the fulfillment of our goalsŠ Melanie
and Nita, Frank, Sandi, Bidan Budi, Brenda, Anna, Lakota, Big ZhouieŠ you
have made it possible.

The direct family members going along will be, me (Robin), Wil, Deja and
Thor. Other team members include, Ida Tanjung, Kelly, and Oded. We will
join a group of 16 sanitation (well and out-house diggers) workers from
Bali.

We will travel from Medan to the West coast of Sumatra, to an area near
Meulaboh, to a small area not on most maps called "Sama Tiga". There we
will be setting up human resource services. My focus will be women and
children (no surprise). The reports we had from this area yesterday said,
"It¹s a lot worse than we imagined. The women are hiding, no matter how
sick, hungry, pregnant or injured, they won¹t come out to seek medical aid,
or food, or any help, as they culturally cannot have contact with male
relief workers. Get over here, fast." These were the words of Christine,
whose husband, Ngurah heads up the sanitation guys. Thor by the way will be
digging those out-house holes.

We will be bringing high protein foods. "Birth buckets" for the
expectant women containing, high protein foods, rehydration fluids, a sarong
(remember, they lost EVERYTHING in the Tsunami, including 80% or more of the
population) Veils (Muslim women will not come out unless their heads are
covered), candles, a lighter, underwear, receiving blankets, baby clothing,
cloth diapers, vitamins, herbs to prevent hemorrhage, betadine, for cleaning
hands where there is no water. Looking at the first buckets we made up, I
criedŠ knowing that had I been given one of these buckets when I was a young
mother-to-be, it would have been useful, I would have been full of
gratitude.

Canadian midwife, Kelly Dunn will be traveling with me. We hope to
train any health workers, surviving midwives and Dukuns (traditional
medicine women), or anyone who wants to learn, in the field, on "Safe, Calm,
Clean" birth and postpartum protocols. Now, in the face of such
devastation, the midwifery model of care is so simple and essential.
We will be camping among the "internally displaced people", refugees of
the Earthquake and tsunami. Don¹t worry, we have tents and mosquito
repellant. We will be bringing many big boxes of medicines and first aid
supplies for the people there, which we will transport by truck, from Medan
22 hours overland (the road is open that far now) to the outlying areas,
where aid is not reaching.

To all the beautiful midwives, doulas, doctors and well ­ everyoneŠ who
have offered their helpŠ hang on, we will better see what exactly is needed
and who will be allowed, by the government here, to help. We are able to
get into these areas because we are an Indonesian non-profit. Otherwise we
would not be able to go. Remember Aceh is a troubled, war torn area. Up
until the tsunami hit, foreigners were absolutely not allowed in that
region.

The question of orphans is impossible to assess yet. We will be
bringing relief foods and simple supplies to children there as well.
Please offer your prayers, send us your light. When you drink waterŠ be
full of gratitude, you have clean, safe water to enjoy, so many in the world
do not. Water absorbs our thoughts, or feelings, let us heal the Earth¹s
waters, and perhaps we won¹t see more of this kind of devastation.

OM Shanti In Love, Ibu Robin