Hundreds of houses with red roof and yellow wall are bathing
under the summer sunshine at a small hill facing the sea in this
Indonesian city of Banda Aceh.
The hand-over ceremony of "China-Indonesia friendship village"
donated by Chinese Charity Association and Chinese Red Cross
Association to Aceh tsunami victims was held here on Thursday.
In his speech, President of Chinese Charity Association Fan
Baojun said that the Chinese people gave their biggest
non-governmental donations in the history which amounted to US$90
million within one month after the Indian Ocean tsunami in year 2004. The two
Chinese charities sent US$13 million to build the China-Indonesia
friendship village in the worst-hit region, Banda Aceh.
"Today, in front of us, 606 units houses with beautiful sea view
become true, it means that our tsunami victims can live a new life
with new house," he said.
Vice Governor of Aceh Muhanmad Nazar reminded hundreds of
tsunami victims, who will move into the village, of taking good
care of all the buildings and facilities, saying "We cannot let the
Chinese donators down".
The village is praised not only for its high quality but also
various facilities like mesjid, school, market, sport ground and so
on.
"The houses here are perfect, I am very happy that I will pray
in the mesjid just hundreds of meters away from my future home, and
my son can play with his friends on the football and basketball
ground," a woman Malia said.
An Chinese ethic Indonesian woman Wu Xianzhen cannot stop
laughing after receiving keys of her new house as a representative
of tsunami victims.
Wu, who lost her husband and two kids, said: "A house is the
base of life, so I finally can live in my own house again and look
for a better live".
(Xinhua News Agency July 20, 2007)
