The Christian relief and development agency has been responding in the region since the earthquake and tsunami hit, delivering life-saving aid and helping people build new homes and businesses.
4,300 people were killed and 190,000 were left in need of assistance when the earthquake hit, which triggered not only a tsunami, but also liquefaction, a phenomenon which caused whole villages to be swallowed up by the earth.
It is not known how many bodies are still unaccounted for, but flags placed among the rubble indicate where those still not recovered may be buried deep under the rubble and mud.
Now a year on, 57,000 people are still homeless, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresecent (IFRC). For survivors like Suparjo, aged 60 and his wife Ina, aged 64 , who escaped with only their lives and each other, recovery has meant an entirely new start.
The couple fled Palu when their house was destroyed by liquefaction following the earthquake. They have since been living in a temporary shelter in a camp in Pombewe, surviving on food donations and in March joined Tearfund’s cash programme, receiving funds to start a small business making banana chips, which with they are selling in Palu and in nearby kiosks.
They are now earning enough to support themselves and saving to repair their house. Suparjo said: “We lost everything but we…
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