Catholic universities cooperate to help Indonesian quake victims

Published: 2006-08-10

YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia (CNS) -- Two Catholic universities have been cooperating with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to build 17,000 temporary homes for victims of the May 27 earthquake. The temporary structures will be built in 22 villages in the provinces of Yogyakarta and Central Java, both affected by the quake. Yogyakarta City is southeast of Jakarta. The magnitude-6.2 earthquake destroyed thousands of houses and other buildings, including Catholic churches. Atma Jaya Catholic University and the Jesuit-run University of Sanata Dharma are to provide technical, administrative, sociological and psychological assistance for the project, while the Red Cross will provide funding. Ignatius Purwanto Hadi, who heads Atma Jaya Catholic University's team for quake reconstruction, told UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand, that students have helped local residents develop a temporary house prototype, and 150 students spent two weeks collecting data in the villages.

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