four leaf clover

The Mentawai islands are a group of about seventy islands that exist off the coast of Sumatra in Indonesia. These peaceful islands lie on an extremely powerful, very active, earthquake zone that has been showing its force and dominance almost as long as the history of the islands has been recorded.
Although the residents of these islands face many difficult challenges such as malaria, floods, landslides, and forest fires, natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis have moved into the forefront of the greatest risk for the Mentawai people. Since the tsunami of 2004, several earthquakes have also ravaged this group of islands which has certainly earned its name as the “ring of fire.” In September alone, two earthquakes shook the islands and damaged many of the homes that had just been rebuilt from prior disasters.

There are many ways to help these people survive, however the biggest way is to create fundamental change. As it stands now only 50% of the children live to reach age five. Two of the main causes of their death are a lack of basic medical necessities and malaria. Although mosquito netting and medicine is certainly important, education must be at the forefront of invoking the type of change necessary for these people to survive and thrive.
One of the solutions to protecting the homes and the people of this chain of islands, is not only educate them about what to do in the event of an earthquake but to also teach them how to build new home foundations that are better able to withstand such horrific disasters as earthquakes. While no structure can ever be 100% safe from an earthquake, the poor construction of the houses on the islands greatly contributes to damage, injury and death. The poorly constructed homes sit mainly on poles that rest against stones or simply sit on the sand below. One way the islanders have found to be successful is to rest the post in the center of a wooden square. This allows for movement and provides stability to the home. The Mentawai people are also being educated on how to reinforce their home and build stronger foundations from material found on the island. They are not only being educated on how to build stronger homes but on how to find safe locations from the storms. One way they have found to escape disaster is to place large, climbing staples on the coconut trees. This allows several people to find refuge in one tree alone.
The philosophy being taught to the Mentawai people is to allow them to have the ability to save themselves. With the knowledge of many groups such as SurfAid and Quiksilver this is now, more than ever a possibility. These islands so rich in culture, beauty and perfect waves are, at a glance, pure beauty. If given a deeper look, or a second glance one sees something else. Beyond the beautiful beach, and crystal water is a village struggling to survive. A village that will not survive without that second glance

This entry was posted on Monday, June 1st, 2009 at 6:24 pm and is filed under Essays.



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