We often forget when we give money to charities or to help people less fortunate than us what sort of impact our money can have on people’s lives and how what seems like a little amount to us can be hugely important to saving or rebuilding lives.

In December 2004 two-thirds of the population of Banda Aceh in northern Indonesia were wiped out when they had the terrible misfortune to be the closest large city to the epicentre of the earthquake that caused the tsunami. The survivors lost everything, homes, jobs, whole families taken from them in the blink of an eye.

Through tragedy comes a test in the strength of the human spirit and it was not found lacking in the people of Aceh. After the tsunami a group of local activists came together to form Forum Bangun Aceh (FBA) to help rebuild the communities of the city.

Recently Azwar Hassan, the chairperson of the FBA came to Ringsend to show us how the money raised by the people of Ringsend and Dublin Port Company was spent. He met with people such as Claire Casey of RAP, Charlie Murphy and Edel Currie of Dublin Port Company (pictured above) and relayed to us how much the generosity of people over here meant to the people of Aceh.

Through the money donated by Dublin Port Company they were able to rebuild a school which was so completely demolished that nothing was left except a couple of bricks and a fan.

Other donations went to help start people back in work such as selling ginger tea and providing a pedicab service.

At the moment the construction of a community centre near the school is in progress which is in line with the theme of the community helping each other.

‘Phoenix rising from the ashes’ is the phrase that springs to mind and hopefully now future generations will get the education and quality of life they deserve.