Bandung (25 September 2024)
- It has been a week since child survivors of the earthquake in Bandung Regency made
shelter their temporary home. The earthquake has wrecked their houses,
coercing them to seek protection under a shield of fabric. Outside their tents,
grey skies hung low, and the frigid breeze carried surrender.
Nevertheless, when stepped into the tent of the Psychosocial Support Service of Ministry of Social Affairs in Cibereum
Village, Kertasari, the world felt different. Its ceiling was filled with a colorful solar system, and planets and stars were above heads. Astronauts floated
as if dancing in the cosmos.
Its walls were adorned with picture-telling
folklore. There was Si Toba, casting his line into the water, while Suro, green
as the earth, chased the blue of Boyo through the currents.
Light colors unique to children
decorate every inch of ceilings and walls. As if it moved the children from the shelter to a fairy tale world full of magic.
Among the imaginative world,
smiles and laughter are engraved. Together with the Psychosocial Support Services Team
from MoSA, they believed this disaster would end soon. Especially that
afternoon, Wednesday (25/9/2024), they were visited by a special guest. Gus Ipul,
the Minister of Social Affairs. With a warm smile, a Minister, whose full name
is Saifullah Yusuf, greeted and brought an important message.
Minister Gus Ipul highlighted the
importance of knowledge of various threats of natural disasters. “There is
flood, volcano, landslide, and also prone to earthquake,” he explained
occasionally pausing to allow the children to digest the information.
In a warm yet attentive
atmosphere, Gus Ipul encouraged the children to understand disasters so they
could perform rescues.
The mood instantly became more
cheerful when Minister Gus Ipul commented on the song the children had just
sung. “One of the ways, as mentioned in the song. This song is great,
applause'” he exclaimed with a wide smile. Loud applause echoed from the tent,
adding warmth amidst the cold weather.
The children sang “Manuk Dadali”,
with the lyrics modified to follow disaster mitigation steps. Uniquely, the
lyrics remained in Sundanese to make them easier for the children to memorize.
It was one of the members of the Ministry of Social Affairs' LDP Team, Igun
Gunawan (50), who changed the lyrics of the song.
“Lamun aya gempa dijaga
mastakana,” which means 'If there is an earthquake, protect your head,'
followed by 'Lamun aya gempa nyumput ka kolong meja,' or 'If there is an
earthquake, hide under the table
The song continues with important
guidelines such as “Lamun aya gempa jauhan anu bahaya”, which means “Stay away
from dangerous objects”, and “Lamun aya gempa lumpat kanu laluasa”, or “'If
there is an earthquake, run to an open space”.
To prevent panic, the children
are also taught through the lyrics “Lamun pasesedeuk, tong
suntrung-suntrungan”, which means “If it's crowded, don't push each other”, and
“Ulah parebut, lumpat kanu aman”, or “Don't scramble, run to a safe place”.
Although he successfully made the
children understand disaster mitigation through the song, Igun said he had not
yet asked for permission from the family of Abah Sambas, the composer of “Manuk
Dadali”. However, he is confident that the family will not mind because the
song is used for a good cause and is not commercialized.
Through the song, Igun hopes the
children can perform self-rescue. Since the 4.9 magnitude earthquake that
occurred on September 18, more than 30 aftershocks have still occurred.
“When another earthquake happens,
they can perform better rescues. Because previously, they were scrambling,
stepping on each other, and pushing,” he explained. The main earthquake
occurred at 09:41 a.m. local time, when the children were at school.
Igun continued, that the
psychosocial support services at the evacuation post help reduce the children's
trauma. “Psychosocial support restores children to their social functioning,
which is learning and playing,” he explained.
MoSA’s LDP Team encouraged the
children to express their fears joyfully. On one side of the tent
wall, there were writings from dozens of children about their feelings. It was
undeniable that most admitted to experiencing psychological pressure.
Therefore, the LDP Team was
present to help the children reduce trauma. Many activities were carried out,
from singing, playing, exercising, drawing, coloring, playing chess, to flying
fox. The LDP tent was almost never empty, always full of children.
One of the children who always
visited the LDP tent was Fadillah (11). This fifth-grade student from SD
Lebaksari was forced to evacuate because his house was damaged by the
earthquake. Not only his house but his school was also damaged. Fadil and other
children were forced to study in an emergency tent also prepared by the MoSA.
In the LDP tent, Fadil
participated in various activities. “There are many activities with Kak Igun,
like coloring and singing,” he said, adding that he was happy because there
were many friends in the tent.
Since being present for the
children in the evacuation, the LDP Team has gradually turned the children's
trauma and sadness into smiles and hope.
Thanks to the LDP Team. A week
has passed, and the memory of the earthquake no longer disturbs me.