Your generous support for ADRA Canada has contributed to the restoration of livelihoods and communal autonomy for people in and around Palu City, Indonesia.

During a recent visit, ADRA Canada CEO Steve Matthews and the ADRA board chair Paul Llewellyn visited the site of some of ADRA’s projects in southeast Asia. Upon their visit to Palu City, they were met with a staggering sight: a strange round patch of green in the middle of an otherwise urban area. They learned that during a recent earthquake, the ground in this city had suffered from liquefaction, and as underground water opened and liquefied the earth, whole communities were swallowed up. The haunting image of partially buried buildings left quite an impression.

With these communities having faced multiple natural disasters in a row, including an earthquake, tsunami, and flooding, there was much work to be done to help the community recover. Your support helped ADRA to work with local people to adapt to their changing conditions. Because severe flooding had destroyed vitally important rice fields and irrigation systems, ADRA introduced new ways to grow food and earn money. In place of rice, many people are now growing cocoa beans, which allows them to produce and sell high-quality chocolate. You have also helped us introduce them to corn maize cultivation. Your part in all these agricultural innovations has significantly improved the financial stability of this community in Indonesia after so much misfortune.