Time to play ball

This week’s visits to Sunut also involved the customary delivery of more footballs.

On Saturday, Martin Gow presented the kids with another bag full of balls, boxes of water and candy.

But with the sun scorching down, there was only time for a few relay competitions with two aspiring teams. The winning team having the privilege of eating all the snacks we had taken to the island for lunch. 

New security for Sunut

With the villagers packing up their belongings and preparing to move to their new mainland homes, it was time for OBRI to reveal its new security measures.

The handover of the house, keys and some cash meant OBRI had completed its obligations with the Regional Government. So it was fitting that new security signs were erected around the island to ensure no one trespassed on the land.

Two days after signing with the community, OBRI revisited the island and with the help of the villagers put up these warning signs on the beaches.

Permission is now required to access the island. As an environmentally responsible company the signs also remind would-be visitors to respect our land and the wildlife.

Additional security patrols will be working 24/7 from next month. 

The villagers final get their new homes

Good News.  On 16^th May 2013 the community and regional government were finally in a position to start the relocation process.

Community leaders came to the Camat’s office on the mainland to discuss the move and then to sign their individual agreements that would allow them to move.

At the meeting the status of the mosque was discussed and the Camat promised the new building would be finished within 7 days.

With so many families involved, it was agreed that the signing ceremony would continue on the Island everything was boxed up and transported to Sunut.

There, the old mosque was converted into a notaries office with 109 families pouring in to sign for their new homes, receive their keys and count the cash OBRI provided to help them move!

By the time we were finished it was dark and the boat journey back to the mainland proved to be another fun experience no one would forget. With the tide at its lowest point, we were forced to wade over half a km in the dark from the boat to reach the mainland.  

Behind the scenes it was a difficult situation with the regional government again. Petty bureaucracy, red tape and no one capable of take responsibility for the process mean OBRI had to push everything through. The agreed deadline had been 11^th May, so you would expect all departments to be ready. Once again, it was not the case with one letter missing that everyone knew was required. Well it was the election season so there were better things to do that actually working. 

New mosque at Teanjah 2 takes shape

Thanks to the Public Works Department, workers are at the village building a number of vital facilities.

The mosque is now 75% finished and the Camat has guaranteed that it will be completed before 25^th May.  This photos shows construction about a week ago. The new mosque is located at a strategic point at the entrance to the village. It has been a long time in the making, with the regional government slow to get its act together.

This delay has also frustrated the community who have this week decided to help with the construction. With their new found building skill from helping complete 109 houses, if anyone can get the mosque finished quickly, they can!!

New road to Sunut rolls along

The new road continues to be upgraded with a hot-mix surface on it. You can also see in these images the concrete electricity poles that are being installed along the route.

The sides of the road are filled with compressed hardcore to ensure that the edge of the raised road is not damaged. 

The regional Camat confirmed that while progress was slow at the moment, the budget was in place complete all 12 km this year. 

This is good news for all the communities along the road as it will improve access for them, especially in the rainy season! 

Lombok gets a new village

Finally we are please to tell everyone that the construction of all 109 houses has been completed.

It’s a great landmark for the community and for Ocean Blue Resorts that funded the project. The community and OBRI were all please at the news that this phase of the project had been completed. But there were mixed emotions.

After months of delays and overruns, massive over spending on the budget and the usual administration silly games, the celebrations will have to wait.

Why you all scream? After 4 years of building!!  Time for some hard facts and hopefully the right people reading. OBRI’s job was to build 109 houses. The regional gov’s job is to build a mosque, school, provide electricity and water. Simple really. This is my job and this is yours.

If the regional administration had actually put a schedule together at the same time that OBRI started building thing would be different. The community need their Mosque and everyone knows that they will not move to the new village without one being built. Despite requests in October last year (5 months ago) by OBRI to create a time line to construct all that the villagers need, the administration wait until OBRI has finished building. So now even though OBRI has done its job and the houses are completed, the community cannot move in.

Not a good story for this election time in Lombok. And the excuses are typical. Ie.. It’s the election time so everyone busy. It’s the end of the financial year. And the best one...We were waiting to see if OBRI would actually finish the houses.

For once, the CEO of OBRI was not available for comment, but this is a hot story that needs to be told. Watch this space. 

New hot-mix road starts

From Geluk Buso to Tiangah Ringgit is a worn out old track. But, with Ocean Blue Resorts and other hotels opening along this route the Bupati has allocated the Government budget to complete upgrade this 12km.

In March, true to the Bupati’s word the construction company moved in and started work. This will be a new trading highway for the community who will be able to access the new road and reach the markets of nearby villages.

Along with the road, the new power lines are be install. In the photos here, you can see the new poles and road widening. Gone (hopefully) are the road floods and inaccessible villages in the rainy season.

Let’s just hope that the Regional government actually finishes the road. This is Indonesia after all!!