On February 7, 2007, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency was honoured with a visit from Queen Sofia of Spain at their water and sanitation project site on the island of Nias, in the North Sumatera province of Indonesia.

The queen’s own humanitarian foundation, La Fundación Reina Sofia (The Queen Sofia Foundation), along with ADRA Spain, and AECI (the Spanish Agency for International Development), provided funding for the one-year project.

Leire Pajin, the Spanish state minister of international cooperation, Damaso de Lario Ramirez, the Spanish ambassador to Indonesia, and several representatives of AECI accompanied the queen.

In celebration of the queen’s visit, a short ceremony was held at the elementary school in the subdistrict of Bawolato. Reuben Supit, the ADRA Indonesia country director, began the ceremony by expressing his gratitude to the donors of the project and giving a brief description of the project results. Binahati B. Bahea SH, the island regent, also spoke, thanking the queen and AECI for their support of the water and sanitation project. At the end of the ceremony, Queen Sofia graciously accepted a set of traditional garments presented to her by residents of Nias Island.

Afterwards, accompanied by ADRA staff and AECI representatives, the queen enjoyed a demonstration of the home water filter systems and toured the project site’s wells and health clinics, asking questions about the water and sanitation improvements that have created positive change for island residents.

Implemented in 10 villages in the island subdistricts of Idanogawo and Bawolato, the water and sanitation project began in February 2006. Since then, ADRA has constructed 41 wells, distributed more than 2,000 home water filters, and renovated the toilets and water systems in two health clinics and two elementary schools. ADRA has provided training for 250 groups and women’s groups of volunteer community health promoters.

ADRA provided 612 hygiene kits to teachers and students at the island’s elementary schools. “The teachers have actively supported ADRA’s health activities and have integrated the health messages into their daily classroom practices,” says Petrit Hasaj, ADRA project coordinator. “Students are learning the importance of hand washing, regular water drinking, and proper use of toilet facilities.”

The project has trained 10 percent of the islanders in basic health care and these residents have assisted in demonstrations of safe techniques of personal hygiene and environmental health. In addition, each village community has organized 10-person water committees, who have been trained to assemble the home water filters, maintain the wells, and educate the community about good water practices.

ADRA has been a registered non-governmental organization (NGO) in Indonesia for more than twenty years, working primarily in the areas of basic health care, income generation, emergency response, and education.

ADRA is present in 125 countries, providing community development and emergency management without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, or ethnicity.