Construction of a reception center for victims evacuated after a volcanic eruption in Indonesia

Discover the testimonies of the beneficiairies and the Air Liquide employee sponsor

The Merapi volcano, on the island of Java, is particularly active and considered the most dangerous in Indonesia. It rises above one of the country’s most populated areas. Its very fertile slopes are inhabited by farmers. The city of Yogyakarta is 20 km south of the summit.

On October 27, 2010, after an earthquake that measured 7.7 on the Richter scale, the Merapi volcano erupted. About 400,000 people were forced to take flight and over 2,000 houses were destroyed.

Dompet Dhuafa Republika, an Indonesian NGO created in 1993, launched the “Growing Houses” program to help the Yogyakarta refugees. The idea was to build and provide refugee families with a house containing a central room, a bathroom, a bedroom, a kitchen and a terrace. All the families benefiting from a house take an active part in the construction of the development in close collaboration with the NGO.

The Air Liquide Foundation is contributing to the “Growing Houses” project by financing the construction of about a dozen buildings.