Jakarta Fire

 Oct 1, 2013 in the northeastern area of Jakarta. Started by a defective cell phone battery that burned approx. 200 homes and left according to the paper approximately 5300 people homeless. As the pictures portray, there was nothing left. Everything was burnt to the ground.

 

 

 The bamboo bridge was the beginning of the local people's efforts to rebuild. These were squatter homes built on government land. It is basically swamp land. The people will begin to rebuild above the water, just as they had done before. Shanty homes for the most part.

 Those with cinderblock as part of their homes fared a lot better.....atleast some.

 Trying to carry on with their lives with whatever they have left. Which as the pictures portray may be a few clothes, whatever they could grab and take with them.

 The next few pictures are of going to a stadium where about 500 of the displaced people were temporarily living. Some of the supplies that were coming in to help.

Meeting with few of the victims of the fire. They were very happy to let an American lady take their picture. We told them that we hoped that they would be able to get what they would need and that we were there to see what support we could give. We loaded the van with hygiene kits, which are soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, handtowels and a few things like that and unloaded it where they were taking the supplies. It isn't much, but they were very grateful. This is supposedly in an area that is very conservative muslim, yet they were happy for any help. There were 2 young boys that I met when we arrived, and for the rest of the visit acted as our personal escorts!

 We brought about 150 hygiene kits with us to give to those in need. Obviously only the 'tip of the iceberg.'

 A young mother and her son that opted to stay in the area of their home, rather than go to the shelter.  They had a few clothes (what ever they could take with them) and a tarp over their head

 

 Despite much of the store destroyed. The restaurant is open for business. Note the man in the center eating. I wasn't real confident about that roof ??

The view directly next to the restaurant

 Families and people banning together.

 

Our escorts,they followed us everywhere while we were at the stadium. Below, one of the representatives from the dept. of social services, they wanted us to take their picture with them. The white bags are the hygiene kits. They had boxes of food, but were low on baby formula still. Overall, their needs are being met. While there, a group from a fertilizer company came to also see what was needed. So businesses were stepping up. But what we wondered is if it is against government regulation to build on these swamplands, where else will they go? As you can see in the pictures below, they actually build the floors above the ground, and all the surface is the bamboo planks , it reminds me of a lego construction, its all connected, if one goes, it's a domino effect.