When the disaster struck on December 26, 2004, Aceh, Indonesia, which was literally at the epicenter, was calm--almost devoid of sounds, news, or even sadness. Nobody seemed to know what had happened. By and by, bits of information trickled in like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, filling in the blanks that eventually etched a very bleak picture. More than 200,000 residents had perished when the Indonesia government gave up counting. Humanitarian aid, whether from other governments or from NGOs, poured in from many corners of the globe. Today, one year later, survivors moved into their new homes in a Tzu Chi Great Love Village. Now the light of hope shines from the windows as the sun sets on their first day.

On the first anniversary of the tsunami, prayers echoed from the largest mosque in Banda Aceh. A woman there told me, "Allah has a plan for us--tragic sorrow for today and perhaps good luck and happiness for tomorrow." After 29 years of military confrontations, a truce between the Gerakan Aceh Merdeka (GAM, "Free Aceh") and the Indonesian government, unimaginable before the tsunami, has become a reality since the parties signed a peace accord in Helsinki, Finland, on August 16, 2005. The new-found internal peace amplifies the aid efforts from the outside in bringing a new face and new hopes to Aceh, where vitality has begun to radiate and the peninsula seems to say, "Thank you, World!"

As destructive as it was, the disaster of the century has aroused the conscience of the world. Even though at that time martial law was still in force in Aceh as a result of military conflicts between the GAM and the government forces, the Indonesian government agreed to open areas like Banda Aceh, Kabupaten Aceh Besar, Kabupaten Aceh Barat, and Meulaboh to external aid groups. More than 1,000 of them rushed in, of which 438 are still operating there. "Many NGOs around the world are here to help rebuild Aceh. The city looks much better now," said Mutammad Narir Hasrrs, 65, a Banda Aceh resident, on the eve of the first anniversary of the tsunami. He confirmed my observation that Aceh is gradually getting back on its feet.

The dewy breeze in the early morning caressed and cooled my face. This chilly feeling was a delightful and luxurious experience in Indonesia, which basks almost year-round under the hot sun.

It was barely dawn in the village of Jantho. However, people were already up and about in a greater number than those usually up for morning prayers. Even many children were already out of bed.

"Mama, when are we moving into our new home?" a little girl asked yet again. "Soon, very soon, dear," her mother replied lovingly as she gathered and packed the last few things into moving bags and boxes. The girl nodded in satisfaction and began to pull some of the bags out to the front of the tent where she had probably lived since the tsunami hit. Then she guarded those bags as if they were her favorite teddy bear. After a while, she even climbed up and perched on top of the heap of bags and enjoyed herself there, envisaging the imminent move to a new dream home.

And she was not the only child up early that morning. Several others were also guarding their few possessions and waiting. The sun started to shine, and just as the kids outside were beginning to feel bored and drowsy, some heard the roar of trucks coming their way. "Wow! The moving trucks are here! We're moving to our new home! Yeah!" The sun shone on their innocent, smiling faces.

The tsunami a year ago left many people in Aceh homeless. Some moved away from the coast to the valley in Jantho where Tzu Chi had set up a tent city. However, tents, after all, were just for the transitional period. Everyone--the victims, the government, and the helping NGOs--knew that only a permanent structure with roofs, walls, halls, and rooms could be a real home, the final destination.

To help survivors in Aceh realize their dream of living in such a home, Tzu Chi, in cooperation with the Indonesian government, is building 3,700 units of permanent housing. The government provided the land and Tzu Chi designed and is constructing three Great Love Villages with 700, 2000, and 1,000 units in the villages of Panteriek, Neuheun, and Meulaboh, respectively.

Tzu Chi incorporated housing, power and water supply, sanitation, schools, and mosques into the master plans for the new communities. This standard Tzu Chi approach to construction echoes the suggestions that Kuntoro Mangkusubroto made to the NGOs on building new communities. He is the director of the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency for Aceh and Nias, or BRR, which oversees and coordinates the NGOs that are rebuilding the disaster area. According to a BRR estimate, about 30,000 units of permanent housing were completed during the first year; among them the 230 units built by Tzu Chi at Panteriek which were opened for occupancy on December 24, 2005. To qualify for residency, a family member must have a stable job and the original residence must have been made inhabitable by the tsunami.

The children who were guarding, waiting, and then circling the moving trucks earlier were now loading their family's belongings onto the trucks. They made sure that all items had been loaded and nothing was inadvertently left behind.

Warni fondly watched her daughter, who was busily and cheerfully helping. "I can never get you out of bed to go to school. I wonder how you got up all by yourself at five o'clock this morning!" She told us that her husband went to see their new home the day before and came back to tell her and everyone in the family that the new home was very clean and bright with wide windows and snow-white tiles. There were also soft mattresses. Warni told us that she was very happy and looked forward to her new life at No. 5 in East Building One.

"One, two, three, smile!" Junaedi, his wife Rukisah, and their daughter had their photos taken in front of the tent that they were about to leave behind for good. Their neighbors followed suit. "The photos are very important so my descendants will all remember that we lived here in a tent because of the tsunami," Rukisah said. She pointed out that although she looked forward to a new beginning in her life, she was ambivalent about leaving her tent home.

The housing units at the Tzu Chi Great Love Villages are being completed in stages. Therefore, not all of the 500 families who lived in the Jantho tent city could move into a new home at the same time, which added a tinge of sadness to the moving process.

"Since the tsunami, we in the neighborhood have gotten along very well. Many of us are just like sisters," Rukisah said. What they might have lacked in material possessions they have amply made up with friendship that comes only from time and shared experiences. Junaedi also pointed out that the mutual affection among people with common hardships is perhaps beyond the grasp of ordinary folks.

Abdul Rozak Ba'asyir, manager of the Jantho camp, witnessed the weddings of more than 30 couples and welcomed the arrivals of 42 new babies. Some families, with the government's approval, were moving into the Tzu Chi village in Panteriek ahead of some others who would have to wait a bit longer. "But everybody wishes to remain neighbors at the Panteriek Great Love Village," Rukisah said.

After people had bidden farewell, the moving trucks, now fully loaded, slowly pulled out.　

On the anniversary of the disaster, people were moving into Tzu Chi's brand new Great Love Village at Panteriek. Their dreams and prayers had come true. Using their new home as a haven and a base, the villagers were branching out, taking big strides toward their future.　

One can always see cattle grazing on the banks of the Krueng Aceh River. Now the blue roofs of the Tzu Chi Great Love Village at Panteriek have become part of the landscape, too.

The sun was rising, as were the waiting crowd's emotions. Finally the trucks arrived with the new residents' belongings and hopes. The unloading and cleaning began. The stronger folks of course moved furniture and other heavy items for all families. Housewives and children cleaned the yards and homes, making everything almost spotless. Junaedi adjusted the TV for the best reception. His wife Rukisah thought of what to do to make their kitchen look its very best.

"I used to pray to Allah for a new home. Now that Tzu Chi is helping me with my new home, I think that Allah has granted me my prayers," Junaedi said, adding that he would continue to pray to Allah for peace and harmony.

Nazarudin, another new resident of the village, also dreamed of having his own home once again. And his dream came true that day. He pedaled a pedicab in Banda Aceh for a living. His new home in Panteriek was much closer to Banda Aceh, so he could work later and still get home without having to spend money on room for the night.

Huang Zhao-qun, a 68-year old ethnic Chinese, carefully inspected her new home. She too lost much of what she had accumulated from her lifelong labor. "Now, at least I have a place that I can call my own," she said happily.

In Aceh, Indonesians of Chinese descent tend to congregate together. They rarely live among ethnic Indonesians. However, at the Panteriek Tzu Chi Great Love Village, ethnicity is not a factor in determining where one lives. Therefore, people of all ethnic backgrounds live next to each other. Huang thought that this intermingling and living side by side would help everyone to get to know each other much better, despite all the apparent differences.

Tzu Chi volunteers from Jakarta, Bandung, Medan, and Taiwan came to help and congratulate the residents on the move. They gave out such daily necessities as gas stoves, Muslim prayer rugs, and blankets. On December 26, 2005, Tzu Chi distributed about 2,000 bags of rice to the residents of the village and some poor people nearby. Members of the Tzu Chi International Medical Association (TIMA) in Indonesia and Taiwan joined forces to give free clinics for two consecutive days in R.S. Keesdem Iskandar Mudau, a military hospital in Banda Aceh.　

With a little help, more and more people of Aceh were getting back on their feet with a comfortable home and more financial strength. The entire Aceh region was gradually regaining its vitality.　

The Tzu Chi Great Love Village at Panteriek was bustling. People were painting, pulling electric cables, and landscaping. The eastern portion of the village was totally completed, and residents were already moving in. The rest of the compound was not far behind, with at least 80 percent complete. Close to 1,000 workers were literally working around the clock to put on the finishing touches.

Pembangunan Perumahan was the general contractor responsible for the entire building project. Nurhadi Purwanto, project manager, said the project was close to being on schedule, although the monsoon was making the ground too soggy and unstable for construction vehicles and workers to function at their normal efficiency. Even paint and cement were taking longer to dry.

Nurhadi told us that most building materials were procured locally. Construction staff came mostly from Aceh, Jakarta, and Medan, where Karman is from. Karman was responsible for the construction of the village school. He said that Tzu Chi had much higher standards than most construction companies that he was aware of. "I have laid building foundations for the last 25 years. The type of foundation here is capable of supporting at least a two-story building. But Tzu Chi is building only one story on it."

Nasullah, a tsunami victim, was responsible for running the electric lines. He was glad to see the wonderful environment in and around the village. He even confided that he would like to move in himself.

Nurhadi had worked in Aceh for a year, initially removing large debris from the disaster zones, building temporary housing, and now building permanent housing. He was glad that he had the opportunity to participate in the rebuilding of Aceh.

I asked Nurhadi how much Aceh had recovered. "It's recovered a lot. It's beginning to feel like before the disaster. What I want now is to do all I can to hurry and build everyone a decent home." He pointed out that many people of Aceh had lost everything to the tidal waves, but they now have homes and have regained much of their financial strength. Granted, some people are still not there yet, but generally the whole city has recovered.　

In the past year, many Tzu Chi volunteers left their own homes to live in Aceh and did their best to help with the reconstruction. The president of Indonesia praised them as being "brave." The tsunami survivors who stood up against their own devastation were no less brave and strong.　

"I remember that Tzu Chi volunteers arrived in Aceh on the day after the tsunami," said Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who, along with his foreign minister and joint chiefs of staff, visited the Tzu Chi Great Love Village at Panteriek the day after the first anniversary of the disaster.

The president appreciated the fact that the village had been built with respect for its human inhabitants. He identified with Tzu Chi's ideals in delivering disaster relief: "Calm their [traumatized] minds, feed their bodies, and settle their lives [as providing shelter and training in basic job skills]." He hoped that this aid model would catch on elsewhere in Indonesia. He also praised the Tzu Chi volunteers who had contributed as "perjuangans"--"brave people" in Indonesian. Actually, the real perjuangans were the tsunami survivors who stood up against their own devastation. They were severely tried and tested and passed the test of life with flying colors.