Tsunami20 — From survival to resilience
Of the 230,000 people who were killed by the massive December 2004 tsunami, about three-quarters of them died in Indonesia alone. On the 20th anniversary of the disaster, Karnen Dasen, who lived in Indonesia’s hardest-hit Aceh province, recalled what happened.
Then a university student in Ajun village, he said, “It was a quiet Sunday morning on December 26, 2004. I had just woken up when a powerful earthquake shook my village in Aceh, Indonesia. About 30 minutes later, I heard a strange noise like a jet plane. Then I saw something I’ll never forget — a massive wall of water rushing toward us. I grabbed my sibling and ran out of the house. People were running, some hurt, others just trying to find their loved ones.
After the waves had receded, I tried to return home but debris blocked the road. As I attempted to get closer, I saw something that really shook me — many bodies were stranded among the rubble. It really hit me just how massive the destruction was.
My family members managed to escape. But about 50 people in Ajun village where I lived lost their lives. About one fifth of the houses were destroyed with many others damaged.
Surviving the tsunami and its aftermath taught me resilience and gave me the strength to face challenges. In June 2005, I began working part-time with a humanitarian organization. Since then, I’ve never wanted to do anything else.
As a project coordinator, Karnen Dasen (left) briefed Habitat volunteers on Indonesia’s Batam island
As a civil engineering graduate, I became passionate about disaster resilience and committed to helping communities recover and rebuild. This experience is one of the main reasons I chose to work with Habitat for Humanity. I know firsthand how important it is to have safe and resilient homes, infrastructure, and systems that protect people and help them rebuild their lives after a disaster.”