David represents (is) the individual or small group with local knowledge and total commitment, versus the very large multi-national NGO/Aid Agency with its high level of overheads and operating costs, its 'professionalism', its career operatives and its lack of local knowledge and concern.

Thanks, M, for the email. I read the attachment and of course it is full of things that we all know some from personal experience and many by word of mouth. I have spent probably the best part of 6 months on and off in Aceh and most of that time has been in the tents along the coastline. I won't say I'm an expert or indeed that I am aware of everything that is happening or not happening, but I join the weekly shelter meetings to hear the many problems that exist in Aceh. My good friend and neighbour here in Medan is in Sri Lanka at the moment so we exchange stories which, to be fair, sound much the same.

To be honest progress has been painfully slow and although the logistical problems are enormous, NGO's, the Indonesian government, local government and many others have failed to work together and that alone has complicated the problems. I joined an Acehnese construction company for three months and then (cap in hand) went to the NGO's for business. That would include World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Oxfam, Catholic Relief Service and maybe 50 others. I did a presentation at the NGO shelter meeting that was headed 'Working Together' and never got a single response.

The UN called my task 'mission impossible' as they also had tried to coordinate NGO's. Being over ten years in Aceh gave me a fair amount of inside information but it was hard (if not impossible) to get people to understand the culture, the trauma, the customs, the language and how these tent people feel about this horrendous experience. Easy to find a sad story, easy to say we have helped 500,000 people and built 55,000 houses but try telling the tent people this tale.

As an example: the UN multi-donor trust fund, committed to building 25,000 houses, has built none. ADB, committed to 21,250 houses, have built none. World Vision 7,700 and none built. Canadian Red Cross 7,450 and none built. Care International 8,000 and built 40. KFW Germany 10,000 and built 80. UNHCR 3,500 and built none. Save the Children 3,000 and built none. Catholic Relief Service 18,000 and built 400 with over 1,050 under construction which is far and above the many other NGO's/Aid Organizations.

The list is almost endless and in telling you this I know from experience the many land problems, transportation difficulties, rising prices and lots of other problems that have hampered this reconstruction. In a nutshell, promises were made by aid organizations who had no real idea about the place, the difficulties, the people or indeed the disaster. Very few of them were in Aceh in January to March when the rescue people from many countries carried out the most difficult of tasks in a very commendable way - I take my hat off to them.

Then the money boys arrived, the rich NGO's with promises they couldn't keep, giving out money to people in tents and not realizing the jealousies they were creating. Easy, perhaps, to look back and point a finger in a tragedy never experienced before. Inflation in Banda Aceh has gone through the roof, salaries paid to Indonesians by NGO's have created more local problems and in my humble opinion two things would have been better: (1) A team of experienced people could have taken control and centralize activities so that NGO's cannot go ther own way. (2) The people could have been given enough money to build their own houses because the cost of keeping 250+ NGO's in Aceh is astronomical.

It is debatable whether the NGO'S costs: their rents; 4x4 Land Cruisers; R&R; plane fares; living expenses and whatever-else, are greater than the cost of building the houses. I doubt very much if one single house in Aceh will cost less than Rp100 million but an NGO will tell you the contractor won the order at Rp 45 million. It is real costs that count - or should do.

That's it from me - hope it is not too much of a bore but I have a thing about Aceh, their war and their people - probably comes under the heading of a pain in the butt.

David.