Speech

AIG/USAID MoU Signing Ceremony

William M. Frej, USAID Mission Director

Jakarta | Thursday, April 20, 2006

It is a sincere pleasure to be here, working in cooperation with such partners – the American International Group, AIG, and CHF International, with whom we have collaborated for some time. Today, we have come together to further assist the lives of those most affected by the tsunami, the internally displaced persons. By forming such partnerships between the public and the private sectors, we ensure that funding expands our impact, and that we are able to address more effectively such critical issues as housing.

USAID has worked in Aceh since before the disaster struck. Even with our familiarity, this was a tsunami of proportions we couldn’t have imagined. We immediately went into emergency response mode, joining thousands of other people and hundreds of organizations from Indonesia and around the world. As the immediate emergency needs abated, we shifted our efforts to recovery programs and are now fully engaged in long term reconstruction activities.

Of all the activities, however, it is indisputably shelter that is needed most.

As we stand here today, 16 months after the disaster, according to the latest BRR statistics, there are still some 67,000 people living in tents. The reasons for this are tenfold: from management to land ownership rights, to shifting landscapes. We are working within these constraints, rebuilding shelter and key infrastructure, restoring livelihoods, and strengthening capacity and governance. We, USAID and its partners, are in for the long term, to see through to the end, the reconstruction of Aceh. To Build Back Better.

CHF International, with funds from USAID, is currently constructing 65 houses in Mon Ikeun village, and 57 houses in Pulot village as an initial phase of a $10 million project. The additional funds AIG and USAID are committing, through CHF International – $700,000 each, will focus efforts on the construction of an additional 150 homes in Pulot and Gle Jong villages – as well as providing for the infrastructure needed in the communities where the homes will be built: community mapping and other planning activities, water supply, and sanitation.

AIG has already worked with CHF International on a market reconstruction project, and are now eager to assist in the housing sector. Their share of $700,000 for this project was raised through its worldwide employee-funded Disaster Relief Fund. AIG is a model of corporate social responsibility in Indonesia. It is here for the long term, with great commitment to Indonesia. Just look at its Senior Country Officer, Peter Meyer, here in Indonesia since 1987, with over 25 years at AIG. USAID is proud to partner with such organizations, and thanks AIG for its efforts.

Thank you all for your efforts – such partnerships bring together development expertise, financial resources, and regional presence to leverage resources and make a difference. Your hard work and cooperation are making this a reality.

Learn more: Tsunami Reconstruction | About this activity

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