Jakarta's Namaste

On Dec 26 2004 and January 2005, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake occurred off the west coast of Northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The epicentre was located under sea water at 3.32N 95.85E. This is the 4th largest earthquake in the rold since 1900. The earthquake generated tsunamis which swept across the Indian Ocean within hours. Over 120,000 people lost their lives in this disaster. Areas near the epicentre in Indonesia, especially Banda Aceh, were devastated by the earthquakes and Tsunamis. The Tsunamis also affected Phuket and surrounding area in Thailand, Penang in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India and places as far as Somali in Africa.

Summer of 2005 paved way to an oppurtunity to help people beyond limits of my native land. My friends and I travelled 2,782 km. (1,729mi) to be one of our countries' envoy to Indonesia. This came true due to the efforts of East Asia Women Peace Award Foundation, INC and in cooperation with Philippine Airlines.

Thanks to Ms Roselyn E. Magsaysay (Chairperson/Founding president) and Ms Minerva De Leon (Secretary General) of East Asia Women Peace Award Foundation, INC and Ms. Lenny Prasetya of KIWANI, Indonesia, for making the Jakarta Medical Mission a reality.

We stayed at Jl Purwakarta 1, Jakarta 10310 Indonesia through the efforts of Sr Petronella Lie, SCMM of KOPTARI (Konferensi Pemimpin Tarekat Religius Indonesia). The original plan was to bring our team to Banda Aceh. However, due to security and transportation problems in Banda Aceh, our medical mission was relocated to Jakarta, Indonesia.

(Jakarta, Indonesia April 15 -18, 2005)