"Antasena" Children's Center Provides Assistance for 88 Child Victims of the Eruption of Merapi

BOYOLALI (January 8, 2021) - The Ministry of Social Affairs is back in meeting the needs of Children in Need of Special Protection (AMPK). This time the Ministry of Social Affairs is here to provide basic needs assistance to children who have become evacuees due to the eruption of Mount Merapi. Assistance for meeting basic needs which is the implementation of the Social Rehabilitation Assistance (ATENSI) program is provided through the "Antasena" Children's Center in Magelang which is one of the Technical Implementation Units (UPT) belonging to the Ministry of Social Affairs.

The provision of assistance for evacuee children was carried out in two evacuee locations in Selo District, Boyolali Regency, namely in Klakah Village as many as 23 children and in Tlogolele Village as many as 32 toddlers and 33 children, so that the total evacuee children who received assistance were 88 children.

Each child received a package of basic needs assistance in the form of nutritional improvement needs and educational tools. The nutritional needs include milk, biscuits, cereals, honey, telon oil, diapers and eucalyptus oil, while educational tools include notebooks, pens, pencils, rulers, sharpeners, pencil cases, plasticine, puzzles, and folding paper.

Arif Nurhidayat, Social Worker of the "Antasena" Children's Center who was present on behalf of the Head of the Center, handed over the assistance directly to the children. "Hopefully this assistance can help the younger siblings and hope that the younger siblings will be more enthusiastic about learning and be entertained," he said.

The Head of Klakah Village, Marwoto, thanked the center for the care of the child victims of the eruption of Mount Merapi. Marwoto also said that the refugees from Klakah Village had returned to their homes, but the children still routinely participated in the Al Qur'an Education Park (TPA) activities at the Klakah Village evacuee location.

Fransisca Dian Wasistaningsih, Treasurer of Tlogolele Village also expressed her gratitude for the attention of the Center. "Thank you for paying attention to our residents. The aid is very useful for evacuee children. The children are happy and entertained," he explained.

"The evacuees have been living in evacuee camps since November 10, 2020. They feel bored, some evacuees come and go home. They go home to visit their homes, tend the fields and feed livestock," he continued.

Data from the Disaster Preparednes Cadets (TAGANA) states that the evacuees in Tlogolele Village consist of 32 toddlers, 33 children, 30 elderly people, 73 adults, 4 disabilities, and 1 pregnant woman.

In addition to distributing aid, the "Antasena" Children's  Center also provided group dynamics activities such as singing and playing with the children.

Prior to the provision of assistance, on January 5, 2021 the "Antasena" Children's Center carried out an assessment of victims of the volcanic eruption in Selo District, Boyolali Regency. The assessment was carried out in collaboration with the Tagana and Social Worker Serve Unit (Sakti Peksos) of Boyolali Regency.