Press Release

U.S. Congressman Robert Wexler to Attend Volleyball Event in Aceh

Banda Aceh | Friday, August 04, 2006

U.S. Congressman Robert Wexler to Attend Volleyball Event in Aceh

U.S. Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL) and his family plan to attend the final matches of the “USAID-Nike-APL” Volleyball Tournament on Saturday, August 5, 2006 in Weu Raya village, sub-district Lhoknga. This event is organized by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and sponsored by Nike of Singapore and APL of Indonesia. The Congressman is visiting Aceh Province for the second time following the devastating tsunami of December 2004. The purpose of Mr. Wexler’s trip this time is to review the U.S. Government’s tsunami and earthquake relief efforts.

Initiated by Congressman Wexler in 2005, the partnership between USAID, Nike and APL will this year further assist the people of Aceh. The twenty-four teams participating in this year’s tournament come from areas in Banda Aceh city and Aceh Besar district participating in the Community-Based Recovery (CBR) initiative of USAID’s Support for Peaceful Democratization (SPD) project, and from dayahs (religious boarding schools) supported through The Asia Foundation (TAF) with USAID funding.

APL is donating US $10,000 in financial support for the tournament and final day celebration. Nike is donating in-kind products for winning teams, participating villages and dayahs. The awards ceremony will be presided over by Congressman Robert Wexler, representatives of APL and several local government officials.

This tournament also serves as a capacity building exercise in event coordination and management for the organizers--the civil society organization (CSO) Imawar Beudoh Beurata based in Weu Raya village and the Indonesian Institute for Society Empowerment (INSEP). These two local organizations are responsible for procurement and distribution of all sporting equipment, as well as arranging logistics for the 24 participating teams during the ten-day tournament. Procurement and accounting staff from USAID’s SPD program provided guidance and oversight during the entire event to ensure a transparent procurement process and sound financial reporting.

The USAID-Nike-APL alliance demonstrates USAID's continued commitment to facilitate private sector giving and participation in the physical and social recovery of Aceh following the devastating tsunami of December 2004.

Anggota Kongres A.S. Robert Wexler Hadiri Pertandingan Bola Voli di Aceh

Anggota Kongres A.S. Robert Wexler dan keluarga berencana untuk menghadiri pertandingan final Turnamen Bola Voli “USAID-Nike-APL” pada Sabtu, 5 Agustus 2006 di desa Weu Raya, Kecamatan Lhoknga. Acara ini diselenggarakan oleh Badan Pembangunan Internasional A.S. (USAID) dan disponsori oleh Nike Singapura dan APL Indonesia. Anggota Kongres tersebut mengunjungi Propinsi Aceh untuk kedua kalinya setelah bencana tsunami yang dahsyat pada Desember 2004. Lawatan Wexler kali ini bertujuan untuk meninjau upaya-upaya bantuan Pemerintah A.S. untuk tsunami dan gempa bumi.

Kemitraan antara USAID, Nike, dan APL yang diprakarsai oleh Anggota Kongres Wexler pada 2005 akan memberi bantuan lebih lanjut kepada rakyat Aceh pada tahun ini. Ke 24 tim yang ambil bagian dalam turnamen tahun ini berasal dari berbagai wilayah di kota Banda Aceh dan Kabupaten Aceh Besar yang ikut dalam program Prakarsa Pemulihan Berbasis Masyarakat (CBR) yang dikelola oleh proyek USAID untuk Dukungan bagi Demokrasi yang Damai /Support for Peaceful Democratization (SPD), dan dari dayahs (pesantren) yang didukung melalui The Asia Foundation (TAF) dengan pendanaan dari USAID.

APL menyumbang dana sebesar 10.000 dollar AS untuk turnamen tersebut dan perayaan hari penutupan. Nike menyumbang dalam bentuk barang untuk tim pemenang, desa yang ikut serta, dan untuk dayahs. Upacara pemberian hadiah akan dipimpin oleh Anggota Kongres Robert Wexler, wakil dari APL, dan beberapa pejabat pemerintah daerah setempat.

Turnamen ini juga berfungsi sebagai latihan peningkatan kapasitas untuk mengkoordinasi dan mengelola acara bagi penyelenggara acara, yaitu organisasi masyarakat sipil Imawar Beudoh Beurata yang berkantor pusat di desa Weu Raya dan the Indonesian Institute for Society Empowerment (INSEP). Ke dua organisasi lokal tersebut bertanggung jawab untuk pengadaan dan pendistribusian semua peralatan olah raga, serta pengaturan logistik bagi ke 24 tim peserta turnamen yang berlangsung selama sepuluh hari. Staf pengadaan dan keuangan dari USAID memberi bimbingan dan pengawasan selama pelaksanaan acara guna memastikan proses pengadaan yang transparan dan pelaporan yang akurat.

Aliansi USAID-Nike-APL menunjukkan komitmen USAID yang terus berlanjut untuk memfasilitasi bantuan dan partisipasi sektor swasta dalam pemulihan fisik dan sosial Aceh setelah bencana tsunami yang dahsyat pada Desember 2004.

Learn more: Tsunami Reconstruction | About this activity

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