In response to the tsunami that struck the shores of Indonesia and much of South and Southeast Asia in 2004, WCO partnered with Nature¡¯s Path and the Aceh Cultural Institute (ACI) to provide critical cultural reconstruction and rehabilitation to affected communities in Banda Aceh that were devastated by the natural disaster.
Sponsored by a generous grant from Nature¡¯s Path, a socially responsible organic food company, WCO worked with the ACI in Banda Aceh, and UNESCO and UNDP representatives in Jakarta, to support the development of cultural rehabilitation programs within the Banda Aceh region.
Aware of the cultural needs particularly apparent after the tsunami hit, the ACI offers communities cultural, educational, and social programming in an effort to maintain and preserve the threatened cultural life and traditions of their communities.