“I saw people screaming, panic stricken, and running… Cars and motorbikes zoomed by, there were children screaming for their parents…”
On December 26, 2004, one of the deadliest natural disasters in history struck off the western coast of Sumatra.
The earthquake and subsequent tsunamis reportedly killed over 285,000 people around the rim of the Indian Ocean.
Banda Aceh was the closest major city to the earthquake’s epicentre.
“After the first trip, he said, ‘Honey, I have to go back. I have to go back.’ “
In Santa Ana, California, daytrader Roy van Broekhuizen received a call from his church, asking if he would lead a team to Indonesia to help with relief efforts.
Crying over bodies, bandaging the injured and working with the people to rebuild homes and schools, that first trip to Indonesia changed Roy’s life forever.
“They could not make it to the bridge and the water swept them away.
Oh God, please help them”
Roy frequently recounts the story of his driver, who told him how the wave snatched his wife and three children… and the stuffy, smelly camps where people sleep on mats.
In one camp, he spoke with mostly men, survivors who had lost their wives, their children and their livelihoods. They were grateful to share their stories, to have someone who would just listen.
On his dining room table are bags of Acehnese coffee beans and cashews that he’s hauled back in hopes of sparking income for the Indonesians.
Hanna, a tsunami survivor and talented artisan, trains eager Acehnese women to make the handbags that, with Roy & Louise’s help, represent hope for the future.
Laga Handbags was started by Roy van Broekhuizen, whose family fled Indonesia when he was 9 years old, and wife, Louise, also of Indonesian decent.
In Indonesia, Laga Handbags provides a place of peace, refuge and love for victims of disaster who are rebuilding their lives, one handbag at a time.
We are dedicated to providing a secure future for as many victims of disaster as possible. With your help, we will achieve that goal. When you order a Laga handbag, know that you are helping create a better and brighter future, and that you can make a difference.
“We formed Laga Designs International, Inc. to provide income for those who lost their livelihood, but what transpired is much, much more: we developed a personal relationship with the people of Aceh… and we left our hearts in their homes.”
Roy & Louise van Broekhuizen
1.888.LAGA BAG or 1.949.654.8360
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