installments, purchase essentials like food and medicine, and put money aside so that Djalel and other farmers could eventually pay for mud removal and reclaim and refertilize their damaged farm fields. The collective nature of this response was crucial. Mahmud and his fellow farmers met monthly with YEU staff to share ideas, learn and pool resources — all in the quest to recover as quickly as possible. Djalel, who once grew only chilies, said that expanding with cucumbers was helpful because cucumbers grow more quickly than chilies — and as a result could be sold faster. “So, the investment we make in seeds and growing cucumbers pays off quickly.This is one of the new things I’ve learned from working with YEU and other farmers, something I wouldn’t have done before the tsunami,” he said. Even after Djalel was able to reclaim his own land, these new ways of thinking inspired him to continue to work the rented land as a way to repay his loan more quickly. “Once the loan is paid off, I will be able to rebuild my house and, hopefully, rebuild my life,” he told Bonds, adding that he was eager to have a home of his own again. As he reflected on how the response had gone, Djalel said, “I am thankful that YEU is working with me and other farmers to make us stronger and to help us make our lives even better than they were before the tsunami.” In an aside, he said while he deeply missed his wife and would always mourn her absence, “I have to admit that lately I’ve been thinking it might be good to visit one of the groups of widows that YEU runs!” Djalel was not the only one with a sense of humor and playfulness. Bonds took note of ACT member Yaysan Tanggul Bencana’s support of a school and youth center in the
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With Courage, In Hope