“In April 2019, a flash flood struck Bangga Village [Indonesia],” shared Agusman, a 50-year-old father and horticulture farmer. “One of the severely affected areas was my home and farmland, which forced me to relocate and find a new place to live.”

Agusman was determined to make use of the land where his house once stood, deciding to join ADRA’s Field School program through the REAF II Project.

At first, the idea seemed impossible. The land where his home once stood was sandy, unstable, and stripped of nutrients. But when ADRA arrived to support families recovering from the flood, they saw not only destruction, but potential.

Through ADRA’s REAF II Project, part of the organization’s long-term recovery and emergency response initiative, farmers like Agusman received the training, tools, and encouragement needed to rebuild their livelihoods. ADRA’s Field School helped participants learn sustainable agricultural methods suited to post-disaster conditions—techniques that could restore productivity to damaged soil and secure food for families still reeling from loss.

From barren ground, new life began to grow. Within a season, Agusman harvested up to 400 kilograms of vegetables from what was once a disaster zone. Encouraged by the success, he expanded his efforts, planting 5,000 chili plants on a larger plot of land, utilizing the same techniques he had learned through ADRA’s emergency recovery training.

“I would like to thank ADRA,” he says with pride. “The Field School activities I participated in have been very beneficial for me in developing my work in agriculture. I’ve been able to increase my family’s income.”

What began as an emergency response has grown into a story of renewal and resilience. In Bangga Village, the soil that once symbolized loss now represents hope, proof that even after disaster, recovery can take root.