In Moslem countries or areas most women are considered second compared to the mens role. The rules in Moslem made women were not treated equally as a men. That happened also in Indonesia specially in most Moslem area like Aceh. Because of its history made Aceh become a Moslem fundamentalist area. In reality women dont have many chances to have a big role or become decision maker neither in social community nor in domestic life.
But Evi Juwita is different case, with positive way as a Moslem woman who live in conservative Moslem area she proved that woman can have a role in her neighborhood as well as man.
Evi Juwita is an extraordinary 29 year old lady who was previously a resident in Merduati sub-district in Banda Aceh. When the tsunami struck Aceh she lost her beloved husband, and also her 5 years old son.
She is a example of an unbreakable Acehnese woman, who is now trying to survive, and hoping to start to live her life again somehow after the horrible disaster. When UN-Habitat came to Merduati sub-village implemented human settlements programme for tsunami victims, she was involved very deeply in all the decision making on how to build back better their neighborhood. She has been actively involved in the project design and implementation but also in the supervision phase.
As a result of her background, skill and drive she is now passing on her experience of rebuilding to others. She has become a small contractor who manages and handles the reconstruction of houses in her neighborhood on behalf of others who may not be so able or have other commitments.
Evi Juwita, 29 years old mother, after all that she has experienced in the past 10 months, she's walking on the beach, leaving the paths that may other people follow what she has been done.
Produced for UN-Habitat Aceh
This story has been published and exhibited in Noorderlicht Photo Festival http://www.noorderlicht.com/en/archive/veronica-widjaja/