A MANGO tree saved the lives of Ismail and his wife. On Sunday morning, December 26, 2004, when the tsunami hit their village in Kuala Cangkoi, Tanah Pasir, in the northern district of Aceh, the two were in their house not far from the shore.

As the huge waves rolled in from the sea, Ismail grabbed his wife’s hand and ran out for safety. But the water quickly caught up with them. They saw how the raging wave swept away everything in its path.