Forum Bangun Aceh (FBA) aims to assist the people of Aceh to improve their lives through their own potential. Our philosophy is based on direct people-to-people assistance, enabling the community to build from within. We work in 12 Districts of the Aceh Province.
OUR WORK
Microfinance
The FBA Micro finance program responds to the need expressed by the local community for economic self-reliance and investment in local initiatives and enterprises. Its primary beneficiaries are tsunami survivors, individuals affected by the conflict and the poor and disenfranchised. All of whom are selected for their strong commitment to micro-economic goals, the viability of their proposed business and the degree of community benefit given by the success of the business.
Our program takes a holistic approach aimed at providing opportunities to the people of Aceh to secure their livelihood, while ensuring that the enterprises established through our program deliver tangible benefits to the broader community in which the enterprises operate. Our commitment to providing economic development opportunities is for the long term.
Education
Immediately after the tsunami, there was a desperate need in Aceh to reconstruct and re-equip schools which had been destroyed. With generous donations received from organisation and individual donors, we were able to assist in the re-equipping of 37 schools in different parts of Aceh with furniture, books, equipment and computers. With funding from the Dublin Port Company, we also completely rebuilt the SD Negeri 101 School in Banda Aceh.
Many children in Aceh were orphaned by the tsunami, and donations received by FBA are also used to provide 40 elementary school-age children with scholarships to pay their fees, and provide them with books and other academic supplies.
Starting in 2005, FBA and IBO Singapore coordinated an educational exchange program for a number of Acehnese students with schools in Australia. Offering students of Aceh more opportunities for cross-cultural experiences and learning is one of the on-going aims of FBA’s education program.
Saving & Lending
FBA has established a Saving & Lending Unit to further contribute to the economic development of the people of Aceh, and enable us to generate revenue to guarantee our independence and sustainability.
The Saving & Lending Unit combines micro finance and micro credit approaches to provide funding to groups and individuals wishing to establish their own enterprises to escape the cycle of poverty that has affected the people of Aceh for many years, but who would not meet the criteria of financial institutions such as banks and other commercial financial outlets.
The micro finance works with formalised groups in twelve Districts of the Aceh Province. The groups (KSM) are independent and self-sustaining. With the guidance of FBA Field Supervisors and Local Motivators, members of the KSM decide what enterprises and activities can be financed, forward their business plans and ensure that the funding available to the group returns to ensure that other small enterprises can be financed.
Disaster Relief
Recognising that Aceh is still prone to natural disasters, FBA maintains a high level of alertness to responding to community needs in the eventuality of floods, landslides and other disasters.
As members of the Asian Disaster Reduction and Response Network (ADRRN), and in partnership with local authorities, our teams are deployed to deliver immediate relief in emergency situations and assessing needs for follow-up interventions.
Project Management
In the past six years FBA has developed a reputation for efficient and professional project management abilities for our work with AusAid, Deakonie, AJWS, Force of Nature Aid foundation, Garuda Indonesia, Dublin Port Company among others. As a result, we have been selected to partner local and international organisations to manage large scale projects implemented in the Aceh region.
We are currently in partnership with Coffey International, co-managing the AusAid funded Local Government Innovations for Communities in Aceh (LOGICA 2). FBA also manages the development of the Wisata Kuliner Ulee Lheue.
