Many of the powerful images that appear on our website were taken by Balinese photographer Rama Surya.

Since attending a photography course in Bandung in 1990, Rama has specialized in documentaries about the Indonesian culture and environment.

So when the deadly tsunami struck Sumatra on December 26, he knew he had to go.

With funding from IDEP, Rama arrived in Meulaboh about 10 days after the disaster.

“ I felt such a deep sadness,” he recalls. “At first I didn’t think I could take the pictures, but then I reminded myself that I needed to document this terrible event for history.”

Rama traveled up the coast with a group of soldiers and volunteers. “I was shocked by the destruction at each new place we went. I had to calm myself before I could work.”

Befriending survivors, volunteers and soldiers as he traveled, Rama spent a total of two months documenting the many facets of the disaster. It was the most intense experience of his life. His portfolio from two IDEP-supported journeys to Sumatra include about 4,000 images, edited from an initial 10,000.

“The sadness there is very deep, but people still smile. They are eager to rebuild their lives. I took a picture of young rice plants growing up through the mud that covered the fields. To me, it’s a compelling symbol of reconstruction.”