by Rosalia Royani

In 10 years, the KBKK association has attracted the support of 400 members from around the country. It has started a reconstruction project in Padang, for the displaced of the earthquake of 30 September. The founder: help the needy, regardless of faith or religious belief.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) - After having rescued the refugees of the earthquake of Padang in West Sumatra province, Christian activists of the Humanitarian Charity Group (KBKK) have started a new project for the reconstruction and development of the area devastated by the September 30earthquake. "Serving people in need," Ekanegara Grace, a member of the charity tells AsiaNews, "is firstly means representing the love of God. This is our concern and the basis of our mission".

KBKK stands for " Kelompok Awam dan Religius Misioner ", an invitation – starting from its very name – to mission to "lay people and priests." In 10 years of activity in Indonesia it has provided numerous interventions in the areas of greatest emergency. To date more than 400 people have joined the group: they come from all over the country and with diverse personal and professional experiences.  

The association was founded in the aftermath of the humanitarian tragedy that consumed the former Indonesian province of East Timor, the scene of a bloody war in 1999. At that time, many Catholics joined the Indonesian mission to help the Timorese refugees who fled in the district of Atambua, in the province of East Nusa Tenggara, to escape the violence.

In 2002 KBKK helped the victims of sectarian violence in Palu, Poso and Tentena, Central Sulawesi towns that were the scene of a bloody clash between Christians and Muslims. In 2005, they raced to help the victims of the tsunami that devastated entire areas of Aceh and North Sumatra. Not least, their numerous interventions in response to earthquakes, a recurrent phenomenon in the Indonesian archipelago, the last one on September 30 in Padang, West Sumatra. Interventions that do not end with the end of the emergency, but continue to ensure the slow return to normalcy.  

Irene Setiadi, founder of KBKK, said the association was founded with the purpose of gathering the faithful "who wish to serve the Church" by providing "themselves, their talents, expertise, money," helping people " in need, regardless of faith or religious belief. " Jusuf Lucas, Setiadi’s husband, emphasizes "total service to others," the banner of the values promoted "by the Church in its mission."

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