March 6 2008
High-level acclaim for reconstruction efforts in Indonesia
06/03/2008 - President Yudhoyono has expressed his gratitude to a number of NGOs, among them SOS Children's Villages, for their relief effort following the tsunami disaster in Aceh and the severe earthquake on the Island of Nias.
Late January saw President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono invite numerous NGOs to express his personal gratitude for their relief activities following the tsunami disaster hitting Aceh province and the severe earthquake on the Island of Nias. The official ceremony in Jakarta was themed "Indonesia Thanks The World".
SOS Children's Villages' emergency relief and reconstruction efforts received acclaim in two respects. Both SOS Desa Taruna Indonesia (SOS Children's Villages Indonesia) and SOS-Kinderdorf International received a certificate for their commitment following the devastating tsunami disaster in late 2004. "This highlights the high level of appreciation by the Indonesian government for SOS Children's Villages as a whole and all donors from around the world who helped the victims of the tsunami disaster," says director of SOS Children's Villages Indonesia Gregor Nitihardjo.
In his speech, President Yudhoyono described relief process spanning the period of 26 December 2004 up until today. All relief workers were confronted with a tremendous challenge by the mere scale of disaster in Aceh; reconstruction and economic and social stabilisation will take years. Still, the people's optimism and hope for a brighter future help boost motivation with all relief organisations active on the ground and are a very special gift to them!