MEULABOH LOOKS AHEAD

For the last four days, Mr Wadi has laid out his fresh fish neatly in a row, ready to be sold.

Business is poor, but he still hopes to sell them as the money will help his siblings and their families, who were affected by the tsunami that hit his town of Meulaboh on 26 Dec.

The residents of the town are a resilient lot.

They have buried their dead, salvaged damaged property and are now looking ahead to a new beginning. Life is slowly returning to Meulaboh.

Families perched precariously on motor-bicycles dodge trucks carrying relief supplies, while people browse through stalls selling fresh vegetables and colourful tee-shirts.

At the street corner, groups of friends gather for a smoke-break.

Whenever a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) vehicle passes by, people wave and kids run after the vehicle.

Captain (CPT) Vincent Yeo of 191 Squadron has been in Meulaboh for more than a fortnight, and he is heartened to see the change.

"When I first came, the coastal villages were wiped out. On the shore, the ground was still wet and the smell of rotting bodies filled the air, " he said.

"But now, the situation has stablised."

"Although it will still take quite some time for reconstruction efforts to be completed, people are going about their lives and carrying on with their day-to-day activities."

"The mood has improved and people are smiling more," added CPT Yeo.

Third Sergeant (3SG) Md Fazly, a driver with 1st Transport Battalion, has spoken to some residents of Meulaboh and he is impressed by their spirit.

"The locals are very friendly. When I drive around, they wave and call out to me 'Big brother, how are you?'"

Clearly, the SAF soldiers and their work left a good impression.

At a grocery stall, three ladies praise the medical aid provided by the SAF. They say that under the healthcare provided by the SAF, injuries heal faster.

When asked what he thought of the SAF's contributions, Mr Marzuki gestured with a thumbs-up sign and exclaimed: "Bagus!"

Through a translator, he said that without the aid provided, the survivors of the disaster would be starving and dying from diseases.

Aid continues to pour into Meulaboh.

Some 60 volunteers from various non-government organisations (NGOs) in Singapore, arrived on the RSS Endeavour on 16 Jan.

Besides their enthusiasm to help, they have also brought along 200 pallets of supplies consisting of food, water, tents and generators to help in the reconstruction of Meulaboh.

As the SAF winds down its operations here, 3SG Md Fazly said: "Now that the roads are cleared up, and life is slowly returning to normal, I do feel a sense of accomplishment; that I have done something good."

"I just hope it has made a difference to the people."