A Post-Tsunami Generation Stays Vigilant for Future

Qurrata Ayuni, a 28-year-old survivor of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated her hometown two decades ago, has transformed her resilience into purpose.

- Associated Press

LHOKNGA, INDONESIA: Qurrata Ayuni, a 28-year-old survivor of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated her hometown two decades ago, has transformed her resilience into purpose. Defying Aceh's male-dominated coffee culture, she runs a cafe that serves as a welcoming space for everyone, especially women, by employing and empowering them in the region worst hit by the tragedy.

On December 26, 2004, a powerful 9.1-magnitude earthquake, off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, triggered a tsunami killing around 160,000 from Aceh, at the northwestern tip of Indonesia. Ayuni survived the tsunami by chance, staying at her aunt's house in Banda Aceh instead of her family home in Lampuuk, Aceh Besar. However, the disaster shattered her childhood, claiming the lives of her parents and younger sister, who was only six when their home was hit by the giant waves.