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The earthquake and resulting tsunami on December 26, 2004 is a natural disaster of unprecedented scale. As the JIS Alumni community we want to be part of the long-term rebuilding of the impacted areas in Aceh and northern Sumatra.
Those alumni living in Indonesia have received calls and messages from alumni and friends from around the world asking how they can help. Many of the messages said that they not only wanted to give, but find ways of being more closely involved personally.
All of the messages of support are greatly appreciated not only by us, but more importantly by the people who have been directly impacted although their voices may not yet be heard.
It may seem as if we have been slow to respond. I can assure you that it is not the case. JIS alumni living in Indonesia and around the world were some of the first to mobilize and respond, not only with money, but with direct aid. Through direct and indirect efforts of many alumni in Indonesia about 500 tons of ready to eat food, water, medicine, clothing, bedding, funeral shrouds and other materials were directly sent and distributed using various connections and networks. This was all accomplished during the first 10 days of the crisis while much of the rest of the world was still waking up to the immensity of the disaster.
The immediate assistance phase is now being taken up by the Indonesian government, foreign governments and many domestic and international NGOs. The provision of clothing, food and shelter has and is the priority for many of these organizations.
Meeting these basic needs however will only physically sustain people and does not address the need to rebuild the society which also has been torn asunder by the waves. Children have been especially hard hit. Current estimates are that 36,000 children in Indonesia have lost one parent and that 10,000 have lost both parents.
Helping to rebuild their lives is the main focus the support that the JIS Alumni community will undertake. Not only in the short-term, but over the long term when this becomes yesterday’s news.
Our alumni community working together with the school can take a special leadership role. As Steve Money, Director of Admissions at JIS and leader of the JIS Cares Taskforce says, “We have a unique responsibility as a premier educational community to not only demonstrate our compassion, but also to take a leadership role in helping coordinate the restoration of schools and access to education in the devastated villages and areas of north Sumatra.”
In order to do this the following has been done:
- A special JIS Cares taskforce has been created representing all members of the JIS community including teachers, administrators, students, staff, parents and alumni.
- JIS Cares will work to raise funds and then identify specific projects that will help children and support the establishment of education.
- Both the www.jisalumni.com and the www.jisedu.org websites have been updated to provide information about the relief efforts of JIS Cares.
- The www.jisalumni.com website has the following features
- It provides updates on fundraising events
- It provides and easy mechanism to made donations via credit card, check or wire transfer.
- It provides a special bulletin board to post messages on alumni and community relief efforts.
- It has information about the Foundation Stone recognition and fundraising campaign.
- It provides updates on fundraising events
- Updates and eyewitness accounts from JIS Alumni and friends working in the field will also be posted.
We are not trying to duplicate the efforts of any of the many relief organizations, governments or donors that are already working in Aceh. Rather we are seeking to use the unique resources of our JIS community to provide much needed assistance over the long-term. The network of volunteers within the school and the alumni association have unique talents and resources that can be used to make a significant difference over the long term.
On behalf of the Indonesian based alumni and all of the others around the world I want to thank you for your efforts, generousity and interest. We hope and know that we will be able to rely upon you to continue to make a difference. Visit the site often and write to us directly if you have any questions or suggestions.
Best Regards,
Arian Ardie ‘77
Chairman
JIS/JES Alumni Association
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