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If you know the West Sumatran culture,” Ismal Sustankayo said, “then you know that we want people to go out and be successful — and then come back and help the village.”

Remaining true to tradition, Ismal and hundreds of other Indonesians who live thousands of miles away are pitching in to help rebuild Padang after it was devastated by the recent earthquake.

Not many people know that Canada is home to a large population of transplanted Indonesian families, but even fewer are aware of how hard these families are working to help the victims of the earthquake.

Born and raised in Bukit Tinggi, Ismal left Sumatra 35 years ago, like many from his generation, to go abroad with nothing but the prayers of those he would leave behind. His journey took him to the Canadian province of Alberta — first to the town of Athabasca, and then the provincial capital Edmonton, where he has lived ever since, working as an accountant.

Although he is now retired, Ismal still works for Indonesia. As a senior member of the Edmonton Indonesian Community Association, he helps Indonesian immigrants adjust to their new home abroad. And of course, he stays in touch with his old friends in Sumatra.

So it was only natural that when a major earthquake struck West Sumatra on Sept. 30, he and the other members of Canada’s Indonesian communities took action. Within three days, his group raised $1,000, which was donated to the victims through a community member’s relative in the region.

To raise more money, the Indonesian communities in Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver decided to host a series of charity dinners serving traditional Indonesian fare to raise funds for relief. The dinners drew hundreds of guests from all backgrounds, received rave reviews, and raised over $30,000.

Roger Bining of Edmonton enjoyed the dual satisfaction of a fine meal and the knowledge that he had helped a good cause. “There was real value for the donation,” he said.

“First there was value because you know that the community is going to use the money wisely, and … in addition to helping the earthquake victims, we as participants enjoyed a really delicious Indonesian meal, which is hard to get here in Edmonton. Second, the Indonesian music and entertainment was first rate.”

Ismal was very pleased with the results.

“It makes me proud as a Canadian with Indonesian roots to see Canadians from all walks of life supporting the people of West Sumatra,” he said. “Canadians were very receptive to the charity events.”

To some, $30,000 might seem like a relatively small sum of money. The Canadian government, for instance, donated approximately $2.35 million through organizations such as World Vision, Save the Children, Oxfam and the Red Cross. But Ismal and his community were determined to give whatever help they could. The only question: How could they make sure that the money would be well spent?

The answer was to send a someone to assess the situation and recommend a project to support. Ismal was a perfect choice. So he returned to Indonesia, first to Jakarta for a meeting at the Canadian Embassy, and from there to Padang, giving the members of the communities back in Canada the assurance that their money is being put to good use.

Aside from his knowledge of West Sumatran culture, there was another advantage in sending Ismal. From his days as an accountant, he had gained auditing skills that would serve well in making sure that all of the money would be used appropriately.

“We are currently looking at how we can use these funds to most effectively help rebuild lives and futures,” he said of his group’s goals.

Although Ismal has plenty of contacts in the region, he will not rely on them to choose a beneficiary.

“For example, I know the president of a university in Padang, and of course if I talk to him he will say ‘Oh, give me the money.’ But I need to be objective and impartial. We have to avoid preferential treatment,” he told the Jakarta Globe.

Ismal can’t say for certain where the money will go. But it’s not for lack of research or contacts with NGOs and other organizations. Ismal’s job is to ensure that the money collected is not spread thinly. The Indonesian communities want to spend their money on one project so they can get tangible results.

The communities have also decided that they will not start a new project from scratch. “We’re going to enhance what’s already there,” Ismal said.

Mackenzie Clugston, the Canadian ambassador to Indonesia, met with Ismal at the embassy, where he praised the expatriate’s community’s efforts.

“Times of crisis reveal friendships and in the case of the terrible earthquake in West Sumatra, it is not only the Canadian government that is lending support, but also ordinary Canadians,” he said.

Liza Lidya Erry, an Indonesian living in Vancouver, was delighted by the unity that her community showed in the relief efforts.

“The West Sumatra earthquake saw the Indonesian Canadian community in three different cities … come together to support the victims of a terrible disaster. I am so proud of the Indonesian Canadian community.”

Canada’s Indonesians, an ocean away from their homeland, live out the West Sumatran value of supporting their own from afar.

To Ismal, this duty is a central fact of life. “If you love your village, leave it.” Ismal says with a smile. And by leaving home and then coming back to help his neighbors in a time of need, he has brought his duty full circle.

When he left, his community supported him. Now when his community needs his help the most, he has come home to support them.