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Blog Post Posted February 4, 2010, 11:11 am by Elpido Soplantila

My six years with Mercy Corps

Country: Indonesia

It has been raining all night long; even when I heard my alarm rang at 6 a.m. sharp, the rain was still pouring outside. I couldn’t think of anything more than staying under my blanket and trying to sleep again. I wish today was the weekend but, unfortunately, it's not. So I rushed to the bathroom, preparing myself to go to the office. Then, suddenly, I realized that today is a special day for me: six years ago, on February 4, 2004, I started my very first day working with Mercy Corps Indonesia.

Mercy Corps' programmes in Ambon, Indonesia are helping residents — including children — learn about ways to clean up and protect their badly-polluted urban environment. Photo: Elpido Soplantila/Mercy Corps

Time flies so fast. It feels like it was yesterday when I sat behind my desk in our office in Ambon — on my first day — wondering exactly what I was going to be doing to support people in need. But today, I feel so lucky because I made a great decision to join one of the best humanitarian organisations in the world. For some of you, that might sound a little bit too much. But I've always said that Mercy Corps is more than a workplace to me. It’s a learning institution where I have seen, learned and experienced a lot from our fascinating programmes across the world.

Several hours ago, I checked this blog and was very impressed with what Roger Burks had shared in his recent entry “What I brought back from Haiti.” Can you imagine how hard the affected people from natural disasters or conflicts could start their lives again after everything has gone away? Can you imagine how children can recover from the trauma they have experienced during a disaster? These questions blow my mind. And again, I feel so lucky to be a part of Mercy Corps, helping and supporting millions of people around the world. Changing and improving their lives.

I have travelled a lot during my work with Mercy Corps, and have been deployed in several different parts of Indonesia — including during disasters such as last year's Padang Earthquake. And now, after six years, I am back to Maluku, working with a great team here to support vulnerable communities. Helping them to recover their war-torn economies through peace building activities, health programmes, clean water systems and environmental sanitation approaches.

But this is not enough. There are still many people out there — and around here — crying out for help.

My work with Mercy Corps has changed me a lot. But so many people out there still need a change. A change to improve their life.

On my special day, I would like to encourage you all to grow together with Mercy Corps in helping people improve their lives, in Haiti and elsewhere; they are not victims, but survivors, and need our help.