BANDUNG REGENCY (September 20, 2024) – The Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA) provided psychosocial support services to child survivors of the 5.0 magnitude earthquake that devastated Bandung Regency the day before. This initiative is part of the help offered to survivors to ease the psychological burden caused by trauma following the accident. "We have already conducted recreational activities from noon until this afternoon," said Roni Faisal, a Disaster Social Worker from the Directorate of Social Protection for Natural Disaster-Affected People, in Bandung on Thursday night (19/9).


The psychosocial support was provided in one of the evacuee tents set up by MoSA at a soccer field in Kertasari District.


Roni and two other psychosocial support services practitioners led the survivors' recreational activities.


A total of 45 child survivors participated in balloon-based games and the traditional game of congklak. "Tomorrow (Friday) at 7 a.m., there will be a group exercise, and in the evening there will be a Maghrib recitation session," said Roni.


In the balloon-bursting simulation, the children's balloons were popped to teach them not to be easily frightened, especially during earthquakes, which they still experience daily. "This is part of familiarizing them with simulated situations during aftershocks," he continued.


According to Roni, similar activities would be undertaken regularly to fill the survivors' daily schedules.


Jihan (10), a resident of Cibeureum Village in Kertasari District, shared her experience when the earthquake struck. At the time, Jihan was at school and was very scared, running outside and crying as she saw several of her friends hurt. "Now it’s lively here (in the evacuee tent), lots of friends playing balloons together," said Jihan, who looked cheerful and enthusiastic as she joined the balloon games led by Roni.


Jihan and scores of other children appear to be a lot more calm and comfortable now that they have received psychosocial treatment. The MoSA team will continue to provide recreational activities in various forms to keep the survivors occupied and restore their psychological stability, helping them be better prepared to face future emergencies.