By Osi Naya | Communication Staff
Just before Ramadan 2026, more than 100 families in Padang Halaban, North Sumatra, lost their homes within hours. Houses were torn down by excavators under heavy security escort. Food crops and livestock disappeared. Everything they had rebuilt over the past 17 years was destroyed in a single day.
Today, a small mosque built by the community has become the last shelter for at least 112 families who have nowhere else to go.
Behind the mosque, women and volunteers continue running a communal kitchen so families can survive day by day. On the mosque floor, elderly survivors, parents, and children now sleep together on simple mats.
For many elderly residents, this was not the first time they had lost their homes.
A Long History of Displacement
The people of Padang Halaban are part of a community with a long history of violence and forced displacement linked to the aftermath of the 1965 political tragedy in Indonesia.
Between 1969 and 1970, many families were forced to leave their villages and agricultural lands. After decades of stigma and exclusion, around 700 families courageously returned to their ancestral lands in 2009 and slowly rebuilt their lives.
They cleared land, planted crops, raised livestock, sent their children to school, and rebuilt a sense of safety and dignity as a community.
But on January 28, 2026, those homes were demolished once again. “We Felt That We Were Not Forgotten”
One of the survivors is Kartini, 67 years old.
As a child, she witnessed her family’s home being destroyed during the forced evictions of 1969–1970. This year, she experienced the same trauma again.
After the January eviction, Kartini and many others sought shelter in the mosque.
Through support raised via GlobalGiving, Indonesia untuk Kemanusiaan (IKa) was able to provide direct solidarity assistance for elderly survivors and help sustain the emergency communal kitchen serving displaced families.
For Kartini, the support meant more than material assistance.
“IKa’s support made us feel that there are still people who care about us. After everything was destroyed, at least we were not left alone.”
Another survivor, Mbah Nasib “Bunder,” also recalled how IKa has accompanied communities affected by past human rights violations for many years.
“We are old now, but IKa still remembers us. That means a lot for people like us.”
How Your Support Helped
Thanks to donations through GlobalGiving, IKa and the Padang Halaban community were able to support families through:
Direct cash assistance for elderly survivors over 60 years old who lost their homes and livelihoods.
Food supplies and basic necessities for the communal kitchen supporting 112 displaced families.
Community-led and transparent distribution managed together with local organizers.
This support helped families meet urgent daily needs while also reminding them that they are not facing this situation alone.
Solidarity Continues
Today, many families in Padang Halaban are still living in uncertainty.
Children continue living in temporary shelters. Elderly survivors are still coping with repeated trauma and loss. Many families have lost their homes, farmland, and sources of income.
Yet amid these difficult circumstances, the community continues to care for one another. They cook together, share space, and sustain hope through solidarity.
Your support through GlobalGiving has become part of that collective strength.
On behalf of the Padang Halaban community and Indonesia untuk Kemanusiaan (IKa), thank you for standing with communities who continue to defend dignity and humanity in difficult times.
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By Osi Naya | Communications Staff
By Osi Naya | Staff Communication
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