TCSI Volunteers Join SAF Relief Team To Meulaboh, Indonesia

Whole towns and villages in Meulaboh were completely destroyed

21 January 2005 -- 11 volunteers set sail onboard SAF helicopter landing ship, RSS Endeavour, for Meulaboh on 14 January 2005. Personel and volunteers from other NGOs like Singapore Red Cross and Mercy Relief were ferried too. The ship carried almost 200 pallets of relief supplies for the tsunamic survivors in Meulaboh, Indonesia.

Together with personnel from the SAF, our volunteers will give away relief supplies like rice, clean drinking water, tents, generators and vehicles to the Indonesian authorities. They will also assist in carrying out some relief and recovery work. RSS Endeavour and the volunteers were sent off at Changi Naval Base by Mr Teo Chee Hean, Minister for Defence, and the then Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan. Also present at the send-off were Minister of State for Defence and National Development, Mr Cedric Foo, and members of the Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence (ACCORD).

The ship arrived off the coast of Meulaboh in the evening of 16 Jan. A feeling of anticipation rose among the volunteers as they badly wanted to give a helping hand to the Indonesians. 

After a briefing by the SAF ground commander, the volunteers promptly set off to work. Their main goal was to alleviate the sufferings of the survivors as best as they could. The challenges were daunting especially with the amount of endless requests coming in every now and then. Volunteers from the different NGOs and the SAF soldiers worked tirelessly and closely with each other to ensure that all aid supplies reach the victims within the shortest possible time.

This is the first time that a joint military-civilian relief operation has been organised and tried and tested in the field. TCSI is proud to be part of this national exercise to help our friends and neighbours in need.

TCSI key volunteer Tan Hee Guan directing volunteers / Briefing by SAF ground commander / Giving out biscuits..