After Tsunami, Internews Rebuilds Media in Aceh and Sri Lanka

INTERNEWS INDONESIA Ayank Lubis hosts a daily radio show for Javanese earthquake victims, many of whom still live in plastic tents.

For many earthquake victims in Yogyakarta on the populous Indonesian island of Java, the voice of radio presenter Ayank Lubis over the airwaves marks the start of a new day.

“Good morning Yogya. This is Radio Punokawan, your friend when you’re sad and happy,” says Ayank each morning at seven sharp when she introduces her two-hour program, Suara Warga (Voice of the People).

“I feel I have something to contribute to help alleviate the suffering of the earthquake victims,” she says. “That keeps me going every day despite the long working hours.”

A magnitude 6.2 quake struck Yogyakarta, about 400 kilometers east of Jakarta, in the early hours of May 27, killing over 5,000 people and leaving 1.6 million homeless.

Soon after the earthquake, Inter-news launched a project to disseminate news of relief and reconstruction, with grants from USAID and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

Besides helping community radio stations rebuild, Internews worked with the Indonesian Press and Broadcast Society to establish an emergency AM radio station called Radio Punokawan.

“The dissemination of humanitarian information to the earthquake victims is fastest through radio and community participation. We give our listeners news and information that they would not otherwise have,” says Ayank.