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Nias - One mother's story

By Alex Renton


Usnaya Sahib. Photo: Alex Renton/OxfamAUS.

I met Usnaya Sahib on Sunday in the camp that Oxfam's Indonesian partner agency YEU (Yakkum Emergency Unit) has set up in the grounds of a mosque in Gunungsitoli, Nias Island's main town. Oxfam has set up a water bladder and tap stand on the mosque steps to supply the 300 people or so there. 39-year old Usnaya, her husband and three children are living under an awning with 12 other families. They have a space about the size of a large double bed for themselves and their few rescued possessions. But on Sunday evening Usnaya was happy - she'd managed to get a 5 kilo bag of rice from Oxfam's first food distribution. This is her story.

"I was watching TV with Muklihun, my husband, in our house. We only have two rooms and my children were asleep. Suddenly this shaking happens. I rushed to the children, and we tried to get out of the house, but the door had moved in the wall. It was jammed. So all we could do was sit and pray to Allah."

"Then, the shaking got worse and pieces of the roof started to fall on top of us. We were holding the children, trying to cover them. Allahu Akbah! we shouted. Then suddenly one of the walls of the house fell and we could get out.

"Outside we were still frightened. We could see the land moving, the street was opening around our feet. So we had to run, we went out of the town, up towards the hills. We were afraid that next a wave would come. My husband had to carry my son Dio. His legs are very weak, he has polio.

"So we ran on, carrying the children, for about an hour. It was dark and very hard - we lost our shoes and our feet were bare.

"We stayed in the mountain for two nights, with only to eat what our relatives had brought, and water from the springs. Then on Friday we decided to come down. We found Oxfam and YEU here, to help us - they gave us water and cans to carry it, and some eggs. We are very grateful.

"We went back to our house. Just to look at our home made me cry. It has become just dust and pieces of wall, with the smell of the dead all round it. But I found that I could get inside the ruin of it, and I found our well was still good. I have been going there to wash our clothes, even though the earth shakes make me frightened that more will fall down.

"And we had bad news - my husband's beca (bicycle taxi) was caught by the wall and it is broken. It can't be repaired. It was how we got money - he earned 20,000 rupiah (about £1.10) a day with it. And we had borrowed the money to buy it and now we must pay that money back. We have many debts. We could not even afford to pay for tuition for the children at the school.

"I have to accept this is what happened. I try to smile and laugh, it is the way to look young. And I can smile tonight because my family will eat rice."