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Around 200,000 people died when the tsunami hit Aceh. Tragically, this also meant that around 75,000 children lost one or both of their parents. Many of these children ended up living in tent camps, temporary barracks or being cared for by their relatives. With resources already severely stretched, many extended families found it difficult to care for additional children and were in desperate need of support.

Islamic Relief extends Orphans Sponsorship program

After the tsunami, Islamic Relief began a new One-to-one orphan sponsorship program in Aceh. This project allows individual donors from around the world to provide vital financial support to vulnerable children, helping to provide them with adequate food, medical care, shelter and the opportunity to go to school.

Since the tsunami the number of children supported by Islamic Relief has been growing year after year and over 600 children are currently being sponsored.

As well as providing for their basic needs, our sponsorship program also gives children additional support such as providing them with school equipment, organizing social activities and providing them with medical check-ups.

Although we only sponsor children who live within their community we have also supported many children living in orphanages by providing them with nutritional food and by constructing a new boarding school and vocational training center.

Sayulis’ story

Four-year-old Sayulis was only one when the tsunami struck his village in Banda Aceh. Everything changed for Sayulis and his family that day. His house was completely destroyed and his father was killed while he out fishing.

After the disaster Sayulis, his mother, his older brother and sister moved into temporary barracks where they stayed for two years before being given a new house. Their village is constantly being redeveloped and there are now new schools, houses and play grounds. However, life is still difficult for Sayulis’ family.

Chili farm and sponsorship

Since the death of her husband due to the tsunami, Sayulis’ mother, Rubama has had to support the entire family. She takes jobs when and where she can find them and is currently working on a chili farm.

Every day she has to walk for more than an hour up a steep hill to reach the farm and only earns around $3 dollars each month. The money she earns is not enough to cover her children’s needs and she relies on the sponsorship money from Islamic Relief to get by.

Sayulis was sponsored by Islamic Relief two years ago and Rubama uses the money to buy food and milk for her children and take them to the health clinic when they are ill.

Saving money for the future

The house that Sayulis’ family lives in has three rooms but the kitchen and bathroom are outside and are made from woven leaves. This isn’t an ideal situation and Rumama hopes that she will be able to save enough of the sponsorship money to build a proper bathroom and kitchen inside the house.

Next year Sayulis will be going to nursery school, and Rubama has managed to save some money to put towards his and his siblings’ education. Although the family does not have to pay school fees they do have to buy books, uniforms and equipment. It is Rubama’s hope that with the help of the Sayulis’ sponsorship all three of her children will be able to finish school.