“Bridge” Assistance: Facilitating a Bridge between Needs and Funds

Prepared by Mike Baré and Rob Greaney, 5 March, 2005

You know Aceh is full of enormous needs before you arrive and that reality is indelibly etched in your mind and heart once you actually see the scale of destruction and hear story after story of personal loss.  For a while media attention was focused on the unprecedented generosity of the world’s response to the disaster.  So it comes as no surprise to meet NGO reps who sense considerable donor pressure to spend serious amounts of money.  However there is often a major bottleneck hindering this matching of needs with funds.  Prior to our arrival in Babah Dua we did not know we were walking into one of these scenarios, nor did we imagine we would find a solution.

On our first day in area as we were checking on the progress being made on the general clean up and the water well restoration, we noticed that the only way to cross the river was by means of a wooden raft attached to each bank by ropes.  After we pulled ourselves across we struck up a conversation with some of the local people.  They told us that the bridge had been swept away by the tsunami, along with their houses and many members of their families.  Even though many of the villagers can swim, some said they are very reluctant to use the raft because being so close to the water revives their trauma.  Their leader asked us if we could help them get the bridge replaced so they could bring building materials across the river and begin rebuilding their homes.

We saw right away that we could help these people meet this important need.  Because we know the language we could get the pertinent details and quickly fashion them into a simple letter of request.  This letter could then be presented to one or more of the NGOs that are looking for ways to be involved.  The first letter was written in Indonesian so the village leaders could check the details and overall concept.  This also allowed them to present it to the appropriate local government officials.  Next, we reworked the letter in English and in short order had two of the larger aid organizations very interested in the project.  So, in the space of just three days, we had approval in principle of at least a temporary bridge and hopefully also for something more permanent.  It was quite clear to us that a similar scenario encompassing all sorts of projects could be played out many times over.  Advertising such a service would hardly be necessary – word of mouth travels very quickly here – the city official who reviewed our first proposal is from the next village down from the washed out bridge.

One of the encouraging things about working in a small town like Lamno is that it is much easier to have face to face discussion with all the key players.  Normally large NGOs have a rather drawn-out project approval process, but because of the urgency and the sheer number of the needs in Aceh, most are becoming increasingly field-led, short-circuiting the need to consult with regional or national HQs for a go-ahead.

As we brainstormed with two large NGOs the ideas materialized for a combined NGO information center, a proposal for a clearing house.  A centrally-located, storefront office would allow each interested NGO to prepare a visual display of their particular areas of expertise and the resources available. We envisage three or four Indonesian staff that would be trained to gather the necessary information from people who come with ideas for new livelihoods or for re-establishing old ones – or even for some broader-based projects that would benefit whole communities.

Staff would need to learn to be reasonably discerning in order to be able to sift through what could quickly become a flood of requests.  They would need to have good written English skills because a key step in the whole process is learning how to present an idea in such a way that an outside NGO would be willing to support it.  Staff would also need to be politically savvy in order to be able to negotiate the labyrinthine twists and turns of the local bureaucracy.

This office would develop a good working relationship with the only existing local bank so that they are seen as partners in development rather than being an alternate source of financing that could undermine the bank’s financial viability.  If the NGO funds were deposited with the local bank, the bank would benefit from the interest and they could be involved in what would need to be a rigorous, transparent accountability process.  If the time came when the NGOs – and even MRDS – had to pull out of Aceh we would like to think we have established an effective, rapid-response clearing house.  Under local leadership the office would continue to facilitate the channel of creative ideas and well-administered funding that could play a significant role in the on-going restoration of normal life in Lamno.

P.S.  Next day:  We have been discussing this concept with our existing local Indonesian staff as we want to get them involved in the process. Their faces really lit up at the prospect of being able to help people in this way. They have been very reliable with the tough, physical work of pumping out wells and we they have also demonstrated sharp thinking and good people skills.  We will train them to do this kind of work along with the Indonesian staff of another NGO who want to participate in the effort.

(c) 2005 Millennium Relief & Development Services
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