Aceh and Nias Recovery

Community Outreach

Access to information is a key element in the tsunami recovery process. Most of the media outlets in the region were destroyed, and a substantial part of the population lives in remote villages. Reaching out to communities has been a key element in UNDP/ERTR communications strategy. In order to successfully meet the challenge of conveying information to a scattered population, UNDP forged partnerships at the local level, using a variety of effective communications tools and products:

• Distribution of bulletin boards in IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camps in Banda Aceh, Aceh Besar and Calang to provide them access to basic information on the services available to them, employment and lists of missing persons after the tsunami.

Reading a local newsletter

Community Radio Show

Community Bulletin Board

• Production of a weekly interactive radio show at a women's community radio in Banda Aceh. The listeners place live calls to ask information about UNDP projects, and get answers from our experts.
• Distribution of 35,000 wind-up radios to the local population. The radios can be powered by dynamo (wind up), solar energy, electricity or batteries, and provide basic access to emergency broadcasts in this disaster-prone region.
• 100,000 housing assistance leaflets were produced to assist communities in land titling and house rebuilding, in partnership with BRR (the government reconstruction body), RALAS (the official land titling agency), and UN-Habitat.
• Support to community newsletters and public internet access (Calang), and to talk show radio programs about UNDP projects (Pidie).
• Production of a weekly radio on trauma in Meulaboh, in order to alleviate stress and facilitate the psychological recovery of the population after the tsunami disaster.
• Support to Ralas (the official land titling agency) to establish a public information strategy and priorities.
• Coordination of media visits to UNDP field projects, as well to activities of other United Nations agencies and NGOs in Banda Aceh, Calang, Meulaboh, Pidie and Nias.
• Distribution of bulletin boards in IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camps in Banda Aceh, Aceh Besar and Calang to post basic information on the services available to them, employment opportunities and lists of missing persons after the tsunami.
• Distribution of 13,600 pairs of soccer shoes to 564 clubs throughout the region, encouraging them to restart the practice of this popular sport after the tsunami trauma.
• Rehabilitation and support to city hall in Calang, a key venue for meetings and decision-making.