PSD Blog - World Bank Group

Goodbye Aceh

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Early March, Saturday afternoon. Outside temperature: -15 degrees celsius. I am sitting in my hotel room studying a manual on rescue diving. I am confident that I am the only person in all of Mongolia doing this. You can't get much further from an ocean than this.

I'm a bit fuzzy on the chain of events that led to this. But the result is clear - in a few days I will leave Aceh and move to Ulaanbaatar, the coldest capital city in the world, where I will support IFC's work in Mongolia. The thought of leaving Indonesia is actually painful. But the good news is that I'll be able to get my family back together. Because this was not a family post, we have lived apart for nearly two years. My daughter, now four, has become a native Russian speaker. And my son, now seven, has learned to read and write and Skypes me almost every day. I have missed a lot.

There are many things I had planned to write about but never did: camping with former GAM rebels, illegal logging, the delights of cycling among motorbikes, an Acehnese wedding, camping on a haunted, uninhabited island. And there were many things I never got around to doing. I suppose these will have to wait.

An Acehnese Biker Chick

When most people think about Sabang, they think about diving. For good reason – the diving spots here are among the best in the world. But there’s more to Sabang than diving, as I discovered by chance. It also has biker chicks.

After yet another fabulous weekend of diving, I took the minibus to Balohan, where the ferry port is. But for the first time ever, I could not get a ticket. Normally you can get on the boat by slipping some cash to the crew. But this time it was impossible. When the boat pulled away from the dock, there were people literally hanging off the railings. Definitely a game for younger people than myself.

Luckily, my Indonesian is now good enough to get me through situations like this. I found a little hotel nearby for only 60,000 Rp, leaving just enough for the return ticket and a few meals. Then I decided to go for a good long walk. I was quite a sight – a foreigner huffing along on foot, gushing with sweat. My biggest problem was turning down offers for rides. Saya jalan-jalan saja, I explained. I'm just going for a walk.

I left my belly on Mount Seulawah

Until recently, the mountains of Aceh were known for rebel activity and were basically off-limits. Even without gunfire, I didn’t have much interest in having anything to do with mountains other than look at them. But that’s before I moved into a group house near the edge of the city. Little did I know, but it came with a personal trainer: Alastair, a water and sanitation consultant working for UNDP.

The conflict in Aceh, which lasted nearly three decades, has more to do with Aceh's current economic condition than the tsunami. This is often forgotten, and understandably so. The 2004 tsunami killed more than 10 times the number of people than the conflict did. And it happened in 30 minutes, rather than 30 years. But the conflict put the brakes on Aceh's development. Farms and plantations were abandoned. People were cut off from markets. Investors largely stayed away. And entrepreneurial Acehnese left for safer places.

Fighting Poverty at 25m

If my wife had been there, she would have had a seizure. But luckily she wasn't. I was in Gapang Village on Pulau Weh, a squiggly, volcanic island just north of Banda Aceh. That in itself wouldn't surprise her, but this time I brought the children. I put my three-year old in an innertube and swam far from the shore, with my boy swimming alongside like a playful dolphin.

As Shaela Rahman reported in one of her Aceh Dairy posts, Pulau Weh is unspoiled and beautiful. During Aceh's 30-year conflict, there wasn't much hope for tourism here. But in the post-conflict, post-tsunami era, it is slowly being discovered by diving enthusiasts and adventure tourists. It is also an easy getaway for foreigners living in Aceh, who have created an economic windfall here (or perhaps a bubble economy).

Visibility wasn't very good that day, so I swam much further out than I originally intended, hoping to find clearer water. The risk of incurring maternal wrath paid off – we swam over some coral and spotted some fish.

Aceh veteran speaks out

Shaela Rahman, the trailblazer of Aceh, recalls her time spent developing private sector on the island. She transcended the written form to share her recipe for success in a short video instead.

Aceh diary continues with David Lawrence who writes here.

Everyday life in Aceh: happiness is a full Bak Mandi

When the first drops of rain began to fall, I felt a powerful surge of joy. Our house had not had water in two days, and we were running short. Our well was dry, and not a drop of city water came through the pipes. In vain, my housemates and I turned the pump on, hoping for something. But the taps remained dry and we were beginning to panic.

Water is a serious issue in Aceh, in spite of abundant water available in the province. A lot of the water comes from wells, including water in our office. I can't say I'm a fan of well water – it's usually greenish, and sometimes has a strong sulfur smell (at least I hope its sulfur) and high bacteria counts.

For that reason, my housemates are fans of collecting rainwater. We have large tubs which we place at strategic points around the house when it rains. Rain runs off the roof and we can collect a lot of it when we have a good tropical storm. Rainwater is crystal clear, and tests show that it's safe to drink. There is city water, some of the time. Our house is at the end of the street, so city water rarely makes it all the way to us. According to a friend working in the water sector, over 90 percent of water from the treatment plant disappears before the water reaches the city.

Shoes (not) optional

I hadn't worn shoes in nearly a month. I'm not used to shoes anymore. This is probably the only IFC office I know of where you work barefoot. Staff and visitors alike leave their shoes at the front door before coming inside, sometimes hopping while trying to undo their laces.

But on this day, shoes were necessary. Ambassador Bill Farmer of Australia came to visit Banda Aceh. Australia is our sole donor, and he wanted to have a first-hand look at how their taxpayers' money is being spent. To our delight, his very first stop after arriving was the Investor Outreach Office (IOO), which is being set up by the provincial government to provide support services to investors. The IOO provides investors with information about investment opportunities, helps them get licenses and permits, links them to prospective partners, and connects them to anyone they need to meet. After some thought, I decided to put on a tie as well.

The Ambassador arrived with a number of AusAID staff and was shown around by Pak Chan, who manages the IOO. Pak Faisal from the Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency was also there to meet him. There were a few brief speeches, including a very well-worded statement by the Ambassador about the importance of...

Risky Business: Bringing Seaweed to Nias

Seaweed. When I first heard about it, my inner bureaucrat voice made menacing sounds. The idea was to introduce seaweed cultivation to Nias Island, an island off the west coast of Sumatra. Nias, hitherto known only for surfing, does not yet have a seaweed industry. People on the coast are traditionally fishermen. What if the seaweed doesn't grow, or if the people there just don't want to try new things? It sounds risky.

But luckily for the people of Nias, the inner bureaucrat was quickly silenced. The conditions there are simply fabulous for seaweed cultivation. Many factors come into play: wave action, light intensity, salinity, depth, and overall water quality. And Nias has it all. And seaweed production has low-cost inputs, making market entry relatively easy. Seaweed is in higher demand than you might expect, being used in areas as diverse as food processing and cosmetics. Another big plus is that it provides employment opportunities for women.

And the best thing of all is that some coastal communities were willing to give it a try. Our studies showed that it could be done, so how could we NOT do it?

Aceh Diary: shrimp day at IFC

Today was a first for any IFC field office – over forty shrimp farmers stopped by for a visit. I've never had shrimp farmers in the office before, but I have to say it was a lot of fun.

The farmers came from Bireuen, a district several hours' east of Banda Aceh, where IFC recently launched its shrimp project. Shrimp is a key sector in Aceh, worth over $60 million annually and employing nearly 100,000 people. It's also an area where Aceh has a real comparative advantage. I'm not sure why exactly, but it has something to do with the shrimp-friendly waters of the Malacca Straits.

IFC's program teaches shrimp farmers global best practices and links them to markets. In the old days, they just pitched shrimp larvae into a pond and let them frolic for a while before scooping them up and selling them in local markets. Now, they're learning modern methods that reduce disease and lead to happier, healthier shrimp. Maybe we can link them to the IFC and World Bank cafeterias. There would be stampedes at lunchtime and our farmers would become rich.

Aceh Diary: newsletter

Our Aceh diarist, David Lawrence, sends greetings and the promise of a new post coming soon. To tide you over until then, here's the latest newsletter from his office. Read up on aquaculture projects in Aceh and look for the photo of fellow PSD blogger Laurence Carter.

Aceh Diary: a visit to Nias Island

I knew I wasn’t in Aceh anymore when I saw a man riding his motorcycle with a pig. I doubt that there are any pigs in Aceh, since it practices Shariah law and pigs are considered unclean. But Nias Island is mostly Christian. You can raise pigs and eat pork if you want. You can also drink a beer without breaking any laws.

I don’t miss pork but I have to admit that I enjoyed the beer. But in spite of this luxury, Nias is a challenging place to live and work. It lies off the west coast of Sumatra, a little bit south of Aceh province. Although it had some tsunami casualties, more damage was caused by a massive earthquake in 2005. It is particularly poor and its isolation is an ongoing problem: it takes a full eight hours by boat to reach mainland Sumatra, making markets hard to reach and imports costly.

Aceh Diary: Ramadan

I could really use a drink. Of water, I mean. I'm also starving, but given the choice, I'd rather take the water. I haven't had anything to eat or drink since about 5:00 AM, and 13 hours later, I can really feel it. But in about 30 minutes I will be eating a fabulous, home-cooked meal with one of my colleagues, and the thought of this keeps me going.

Why is this? It's Ramadan, the Islamic holy month that ends this Sunday. A spiritual time, marked by fasting, reflection, and an effort to improve oneself. The closest thing in the Christian world would be Lent, but there really is no comparison. Ramadan isn't just observed, it's experienced. My experience so far, and a few more pictures, after the jump.

Aceh Diary: an Indonesian Esperanto

Indonesia has more than 300 languages spread over its 6,000 inhabited islands. But incredibly, there is a single, national language: bahasa Indonesia, which literally means the language of Indonesia. This is an amazing accomplishment. How did they manage to linguistically unite so many diverse people?

I have started taking lessons and can now say a few basic, but important phrases: saya mau makan, for example (I want to eat). Bahasa Indonesia is spoken as a second language by almost everyone, and is the language of government, the media, and education. Only 7% of the population speak it as a first tongue, mainly in and around Jakarta. I learned my first words from Baijuri, our driver, who is determined to teach me the language and keeps me on my toes.

Aceh Diary 2.0

The day after I arrived in Banda Aceh, my colleague Bido and I took off for Lhokseumawe, a small city about 5 hours' drive away along a narrow, winding road. There I addressed a group of 50 young entrepreneurs who are participating in a business plan competition. Bido is the driving force behind our work with entrepreneurs and small businesses. He's great company and introduced me to roadside diners, where I sampled the spicy, local cuisine.

On the way back, Bido and I spent a few hours in a village where we will work on shrimp farming. The head of the village took us on a long walk among the shrimp ponds and told us about issues facing the farmers. Being here drives home the importance of our work in a way that the cube farms at headquarters cannot: here are real people trying to improve their lives in a difficult environment. This is what our work is all about, and I realize that I have made the right decision. The only downside is that I won't see much of my family in the next few months. My wife and two small children will not move to Indonesia until January, and I miss them.

The Aceh Diary is back!

Regular readers of Shaela's posts from Banda Aceh will be glad to know that our new blogger, David Lawrence, will pick up the thread and share his experiences as Aceh's transformation continues. David has just begun a two-year assignment as the IFC Program Coordinator for the Private Enterprise Partnership for Aceh & Nias. He has loads of field experience in former Soviet countries, and I'm interested to see how he applies lessons he's learned there in the Aceh context.

Aceh Diary: Handing over the torch

Having returned to Washington DC in time for summer – lots of sun, heat, and humidity – the weather feels like I never left Aceh. I still sometimes find myself amazed and almost giddy from enjoyment of the bacteria-free hot water for showers and baths, a stable supply of electricity, the absence of dengue/malarial mosquitoes and regularly recurring stomach ailments. Supermarkets with endless brand choices in products from toothpaste to tuna, movies theatres, bakeries/cafes/restaurants carrying offerings from around the world, bookstores piled high from floor to ceiling with everything from Tolstoy to Tintin, museums, gyms, pool halls and bowling alleys, salons. In short, everything people living in cosmopolitan cities take for granted is all once again just a flick of a switch, a turn of a tap, or a short walk/drive away.

I left, unfortunately, at a time when things are really taking off. The reconstruction phase is definitely ramping up. Aceh just celebrated its first year of peace under the treaty signed in August 2005 between the Free Aceh Movement (in Indonesian: Gerakan Aceh Merdeka or GAM) and the central government. The long-awaited autonomy law was passed last month. The date for the historic first provincial elections has been set for December 11th. Finally, the foreign monitors of the Aceh Monitoring Mission have extended their stay for the third time until the polls are completed. But it’s not roses all the way...

Aceh Diary: The staffing challenge

Staffing is one of the most serious challenges facing donors and aid agencies ramping up in Aceh. There’s no shortage of overqualified foreigners running around Aceh or the rest of Indonesia with the requisite passion to slave away for this worthy cause. The problem is, however, now that the volunteer/recovery phase is largely over and longer-term commitment becomes necessary to engage in the reconstruction effort, their services and dedication come with a very high price-tag. And while I can’t comment with any authority on trends in other regions, in Southeast Asia the typical compensation package and lifestyle expats enjoy is a world apart from what the locals earn.

Given that most NGOs and agencies are looking to create jobs locally, and are also fiscally conscious in that they’re spending the money of taxpayers and generous individuals, they’re quite reluctant to hire too many foreigners, especially at junior levels (unless it’s in the short-term). Now, the qualified locals—and I don’t mean people from other parts of Sumatra, or the Javanese, or any of the other peoples across Indonesia—but rather the Acehnese possessing the education/technical and language skills/experience to take on the types of jobs the development community is begging to have filled, are harder to find on the ground than a three-eyed pig!

Aceh Diary: On the weekend, work or…?

So what do most expats working in Banda Aceh do in their free time? Well, for the most part, they work – late every evening, after which they go to their agency’s dedicated guesthouses and talk about work with the colleagues they saw all day in the office, and it’s usually the same routine every weekend. It’s not only because we’re all passionately dedicated to ‘rebuilding Aceh back better’ as the favorite reconstruction slogan goes, but the circumstances are such that there isn’t really much else to do in Aceh.

Aceh Diary: hazards and risks

Relatively quiet little provincial town that it may seem at first glance, don’t be fooled, because residing in Banda Aceh may often involve a bit of living on the edge.

I’m not kidding – between earthquakes, the alarming frequency of incidents of foreigners and locals drowning off the beaches during recreational swimming/surfing, the increasing and discriminatory enforcement of sharia (Islamic) law by the ‘sharia police’, the rising but isolated number of violent incidents that are being linked to GAM’s (the former separatist movement) dissatisfaction with delays/content changes by Jakarta with regards to the autonomy law, can indeed give one pause every so often. And then there are the creeping fears related to issues such as terrorist attacks on Westerners and bird flu across Indonesia that are also shared by many living and working here. But let’s focus and talk more concretely on the Aceh-specific concerns, shall we?

Aceh Diary: Wolfowitz visit

Paul Wolfowitz was coming to Aceh – it was to be his first stop on his first official trip to Indonesia as WB President. It was a highly anticipated visit, as he was returning to a country where he had spent a successful run as US Ambassador 20 years ago. The Aceh leg of the journey was as a huge deal as well given the Bank’s commitment to the province. So our WB colleagues had been working tirelessly for weeks to impress and make sure all went off without a hitch. That generally means sticking to the schedule, but when the boss wants a detour you can hardly refuse….

Aceh diary: the housing hole

Many development agencies and NGOs working in Aceh are in a rather unenviable position right now. This is especially true in certain sectors like housing. The saying that you’re damned if you do, and damned if you don’t, is quite apt in this scenario.

Earlier this month, Kuntoro Magkusubroto, the head of BRR—the government-appointed rehabilitation and reconstruction agency for Aceh and Nias—blasted NGOs in the Jakarta Post. He accused them of dishonesty and lack of professionalism. Care and UN Habitat came under fire in particular, the former for having supposedly often behaved duplicitously and the latter for having allegedly been “slow in some areas.” Kuntoro at the same time lauded smaller agencies and the Salvation Army for being quick and effective and not beset by excessive overheads and internal governance problems. The article also talked about BRR measuring the performance of NGOs against their pledges so that donors could better target their funding, and whichever ones failed to deliver on commitments by mid next year would be asked to leave, with the BRR and more efficient NGOs assuming their work.

Aceh diary: newsletter

The first Private Enterprise Partnership for Aceh & Nias newsletter is out. Enjoy.

Aceh Diary: Banda's beehive

The Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency for Aceh and Nias (BRR) was set up in April 2005 by the Indonesian government to coordinate the frenzy of donor and NGO activities that has gripped Aceh in the wake of last year’s tsunami. A visit to the BRR office is a must for anyone working in Aceh.

The impressions begin even before you leave the parking lot, typically packed with four-wheel drives sporting organizational logos which, had they been depicting the who’s who of the fashion rather than the development world, would run the gamut from an Aigner to a Yves Saint Laurent. The spacious front steps are framed by neat gardens with a rather charming but incongruous vegetable patch in one corner – apparently someone more important than me thought so as well since I found the veggies had disappeared on my last visit a week ago. Friendly guards sign you in at the security desk, but you can only pass through the heavy wooden doors beyond after depositing your shoes amid the sea of sandals, loafers, and pumps that is pretty much a customary sight outside most offices in Banda.

Aceh Diary: Dining out

Food in Banda Aceh is GREAT (especially the seafood)! That is, if you can bear going to the same 5 or 6 restaurants day in and out. Many people eventually opt for their own cooking, at least for dinner, since many organizations provide a simple lunch catered or cooked on the premises. Others like us without a kitchen (which we’re renovating), tend to alternate between the few Chinese-style seafood restaurants and venues offering western cuisine frequented by the expat community. The local Acehnese and Indonesian fare is excellent too, but not for the faint of heart if you’re used to western hygiene standards, or like me have lived in parts of the region like Singapore where everything is sterilized within an inch of its existence—not a bad thing in this age of bird flu and SARS.

Aceh Diary: Price distortions

There are two prices in Banda Aceh—the price charged to locals, and that reserved for foreigners. Or as some around here put it the “blue-eyed price” and the “brown-eyed price."

I had heard before coming out that Banda is something of a bubble economy these days from all the local and international organizations and NGOs falling over each other in a rush to spend the big bucks. I didn’t realize then to what extent that’s true, and how much it’s distorting the local economy and perceptions of the people as to the budget limitations some organizations, including IFC, have.

Aceh Diary: Commemoration

BANDA ACEH, DECEMBER 26 2005. The chartered planes carrying foreign dignitaries and government officials began arriving at the tiny airport long before dawn, heralding one year to the day that the tsunami devastated Aceh’s coastline. The Indonesian President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, was scheduled to open a two-day series of commemoration events with an 8am ceremony at Ulee Lheu port –- one of the worst hit locations in Banda.

We didn’t have invitations, but went anyway. I couldn’t imagine not paying my respects after being part of this community for the last few weeks. So we decided to take our chances, hoping but not really expecting to catch much of the ceremony. Well, it turned out that only a few hundred of the 2000+ distinguished guests we understood were expected actually put in a show, and we were ushered in to the large open tent erected for the occasion without even being asked for our invitations or IDs. Not ones to look a gift horse in the mouth, we sat down about 20 feet away from the stage that was set against the backdrop of the sea and open wasteland that was once among the most densely populated areas in the city.

Aceh Diary on BBC Radio

Shaela Rahman was on the Five Live radio show yesterday discussing the tsunami reconstruction efforts one year after. Her segment starts at 20:45.

Also see this moving multimedia feature from the Washington Post.

Update 1: The BBC link may only be good for a week.

Update 2: Permalink now up.

Aceh Diary: A bisa state of mind

"Bisa" (Indonesian for "can do") is surely one of the top 5 most-used words among the Banda Acehnese. It’s hard to come across a more accommodating people; so much so that I could weep. I realize that last statement requires some explanation…

The property the IFC leased for its office/guesthouse – a large and airy Dutch-style house in the center of town – went completely under water during the tsunami, so we needed to make several repairs and buy equipment and furniture for both the office and guesthouse sections. So we hired contractors and went to all the necessary supply stores intent on settling in within a week.

We decided to try out a carpenter recommended by our landlord: “Can you redo the rotting kitchen cabinets?” we asked. “Bisa”, he responded. So he makes new cabinet doors and attaches them to the rotten frames; job complete from his perspective.

Aceh Diary: Photos

By the sea. More Aceh Diary.

Aceh Diary: Coordination

Coordination is the biggest buzzword within the donor community in Banda Aceh. Everybody’s heard of it, everybody’s talking about it, everybody thinks it’s a great thing, everybody wants to be a part of it; so is everybody doing it? No, not really.

Almost everyone we met with felt coordination was key to getting results. Many efforts were being made to bring people together to share experiences, discuss issues, and figure out ways to collaborate, but the jury is out on whether these have been effective. One skeptic told me, "Well, we make sure to send a face to represent us at such meetings, but as far as what comes out of it – while it would be nice to sit around and talk and find out who’s doing what, you eventually have to just get out there and get some work done." In other words, each organization had its priorities, deadlines, and responsibilities to meet, and while coordination would be a wonderful thing, seeing it through was proving very difficult in practice.

Aceh Diary: Photos

Two miles inland, a huge marooned ship being used as a power station. More Aceh Diary.

Aceh Diary: First impressions

The drive from the airport to the city of Banda Aceh is a picturesque one. It is only once you near the city center marked by the main mosque that signs of the devastation wreaked by the tsunami become apparent, among them the mangled metal frames of bridges, several crumbling buildings –some of them popular hotels once upon a time – and large gaping holes in the concrete base of a lone massive water tower which once supplied much of the city. This is also where the office for IFC’s newly launched Private Enterprise Partnership (PEP) for Aceh & Nias is located, about 1.2 miles from the coastline.

My first sight of the tsunami torn areas was a numbing experience – much of the landscape leading up to the water looked like a warzone. I myself didn’t have much of a basis for comparison, but my colleague Vicki Peterson, Program Coordinator for PEP Aceh/Nias, had worked with the World Bank in Bosnia immediately after the war, and said there were many similarities. The cleanup effort in the last several months had been massive and very effective it appeared, as much of the debris had been cleared. But still stretching out all around were hundreds of ruins of what had once been homes, shops, and restaurants. The words “December 26, 2004 Sunday morning call – everybody lost” were inscribed on the side of the crumbling shell of one house while another read “We will all die.”

New guest blogger: Shaela Rahman

When we recently heard that Shaela was moving from D.C. to Aceh to help set up the new Private Enterprise Partnership for Aceh and Nias – we immediately knew she had to come aboard. She has now finally arrived in Aceh and, internet connection permitting, will be coming to you with her ‘Aceh Diary’ a few times a month. Looking forward to it.