Americares

Fadliah clutched her 4-day-old baby as dirty water rose quickly around her. In Palu City, Indonesia, an earthquake had triggered a tsunami, collapsing Fadliah’s house and sending a muddy wave over her and her tiny boy.

Once she was safe in a neighbor’s car, the young mother cleaned mud from her baby’s mouth, relieved to see him breathing. The magnitude 7.5 earthquake on September 28, 2018, killed more than 4,000 people, destroyed 70,000 homes, and wrecked roads and bridges.

Americares responded immediately, working alongside local health organizations to quickly set up and equip 15 emergency women’s health centers near where Fadliah and other homeless survivors sought shelter in tents. Fadliah brought her little boy for checkups every couple of weeks.