Murniati, her husband, Yusri, and their four surviving children live in a tiny, makeshift house in the Kayu Jati camp for displaced people. They used to own two homes on the coast and lived comfortably on the earnings of Murniati's catering business and Yusri's income as an employee in an ice factory.

A loan of 3 million Rupiah (about $300 USD) from a YEU-sponsored credit union, has put Murniati back in business. It is Murniati's love of cooking for others that helps keep her mind off that awful day and the loss of a daughter who was a steadfast companion and helper.

Murniati is among the 63 women who joined the credit union in her camp; they named it Bungong Selanga, for the ylang-ylang tree, whose sweet-scented flowers are often used in perfume. It is one of four credit unions for women that Natalia "Lia" Christianawati, area manager of the YEU Banda Aceh unit, initiated for survivors of Lamreh village. Each group has named a leadership team of president, treasurer and secretary. Over the next year, Lia will provide extensive training in financial and organizational management to both officers and members.

Murniati earns a profit of about $50 per month and is repaying her loan in monthly installments of about $28. Because her husband no longer has work — the ice factory was destroyed in the tsunami — he helps her with the catering business. He will also receive a small loan from a men's credit union, and hopes to build a small roadside food stand with it.

Murniati's prime customers are soldiers who are part of the Indonesian government's effort to suppress a secessionist movement. About 30 soldiers come to eat her cooking morning, noon and night. (Just a taste of a delectable fish dish — in which flavors of fresh tomatoes, herbs, and spicy chili peppers mingle harmoniously — is all it takes to understand why folks line up for her cooking.)

From a spacious, well-stocked, well-supplied kitchen with a paid employee to cramped quarters without cupboards and just two single-burner gas stoves, the couple is starting all over again. When Murniati expresses frustration, Yusri, 48, encourages patience.

"We're used to working hard, and at least we're back building our own business," he says. Like many Acehnese, the couple is proud and independent and reluctant to accept handouts. This self-reliant, can-do attitude is a prime factor contributing to the success of both the credit unions and the businesses begun with the loans, YEU's Lia says. Because small-scale Acehnese entrepreneurs understand the importance of credit access to their businesses, they are serious about repaying loans and attending meetings to assure the credit union's future well-being.

The amount of money loaned, either $200 or $300 per member, depending on the type and size of the enterprise, is a second factor in successful business creation. Although not much by North American or European standards, it is significant for small businesses in Indonesia.

"Any less probably would not make a difference," Lia remarks.

YEU purposefully began separate women's and men's credit unions. In their own credit union, women are beginning to speak up and make decisions; in a mixed group, they would defer to men. Having their own money also enhances women's status at home and fosters collaborative decision-making between husbands and wives, Lia says. Furthermore, it enables women to begin to plan for their own and their family's economic future.

Since the tsunami, women's ability to earn income is more vital than ever. Those who have lost husbands need to become breadwinners. And all want to help rebuild the family's economic base after the material losses of homes and personal possessions.

Mardiah and her husband, M. Jamal, are another couple from the Kayu Jati camp who have started over from scratch. Each received the equivalent of about $300 from their respective YEU-sponsored credit unions; they pooled their loans to clean, repair and restock their small shop. With the capital, they purchased new display racks and shelves. They also returned to their living quarters above the store.

A month later, they were selling at least $50 of merchandise daily, including things such as snacks, basic groceries, cosmetics, and a range of household goods — from plastic containers to fine china. Their average profit is 10 percent — $5 of every $50 sold.

They hope to eventually get back to seven, not just four, racks of inventory, and to be able to offer goods to customers on credit, as they used to.

The couple has four children, ages 17, 13, 7 and 2, all of whom survived the tsunami. One of Mardiah's sisters, however, perished along with her three young children. Focusing on rebuilding the store keeps her from dwelling on her losses, Mardiah says. She's grateful for the credit union loan that has made it possible.

"I knew they would recover quickly, but I didn't imagine it would be this quickly!" exclaims Lia after a recent visit to the two couples.