Deden Sudendi, A Guiding Light for Disaster Survivors
Losing members of his family to the landslide that struck at the end of 2018 in Kampung Garehong of Sirnaresmi village in Cisolok district, Sukabumi regency, West Java, did not bury Deden Sudendi, 30, in grief. He instead decided to help others, opening his heart to find those who were killed and to unite survivors.
A cool mountain breeze blew gently as Deden stood still among the remains of his house on Tuesday afternoon (01/08/2019). Aside from recovering the wooden cabinet he had inherited from his in-laws and gathering some metal sheeting, Deden was there to recollect the memories his house held.
“This house, which was built from saving over five years, was not damaged by the landslide. However, it must be torn down so heavy equipment can enter to rescue the missing victims and recover the bodies of the dead victims,” he said.
Deden said he did not regret agreeing to his house being demolished. He knows the sacrifice was necessary for the rescue and recovery operation to proceed. Sharing and kinship has always been maintained among the people of Sirnaresmi, which is part of the Sinar Resmi customary village.
Deden’s sacrifice was vital for the heavy equipment to enter the area and continue with the ongoing operation to rescue and recover victims. Within a week, the operation recovered the bodies of 32 of the 33 dead victims found. The bodies were buried 4 meters deep in the grounds of their houses.
“Among them was my mother-in-law,” said Deden, who is now taking refuge at a relative’s house with his son and wife.
A calming hand
Deden’s memories quickly returned to the afternoon of the final day of 2018. Nobody could have imagined that the heavy rain that had fallen over the last few days would end in grief. In a single roar, the landslide caused widespread trauma. Houses were buried in the mud that also submerged rice fields so they could no longer be seen.
When the landslide struck, Deden was preparing to go to the mosque to observe the Maghrib (evening) prayer. His house escaped the landslide, which touched only a small part of it.
“However, when I ran out of the house, it was a mess. Many of the neighbors’ houses were gone, buried by the mud,” he said.
Deden realized that this was no time to stand still. Before his eyes, many residents were fleeing in a panic. He reached out to several to calm them down.
“I welcomed dozens of people to take shelter on the terrace. I asked them to be patient and to pray for everyone,” he said.
After calming down his fellow villagers, he headed out to the houses that had been buried by the landslide. His heart told him to follow the cries for help that filled his ears. Incidentally, a voice emerged from somewhere near the house of his in-laws. The voice belonged to a neighbor.
Deden started lifting the debris of his in-laws’ collapsed house, unaware that he had no shoes on. He did not even notice when four nails stabbed his bare feet, and only felt the pain as he led his neighbor to safety.
“When I was helping, it didn’t hurt at all. Only afterwards did I realize that my feet were bleeding,” said Deden, showing four puncture marks in the sole of his right foot.
He went out again the next day and worked as a volunteer alongside the joint SAR team looking for other buried victims. From morning to evening on Jan. 1 through Jan. 6, Deden helped search for victims. Deden and the SAR team only stopped the search when it started raining heavily. They would only add to the number of victims if they continued with the search in heavy rain.
Deden then turned to guiding the SAR effort with his knowledge of the local geography, discussing the operation with the SAR team at the site of the disaster. He pointed to the location of a victim’s house and how many people were in the family. The SAR team often asked Deden to help identify victims from their clothing or belongings, calling him from one search area to the next.
He used the main road and certain trees as references to pinpoint the location of the houses in the village. He also relied on his knowledge of the village’s daily habits to suggest search areas like the musholla (small mosque), where they found nine bodies. Deden was certain that many people would be buried at the musholla. He realized that people would have fled there, as the landslide hit just before Maghrib.
“If no one from this village helped [the SAR team], it would certainly have been difficult to determine the location of the victims’ houses because they were buried in the landslide,” he said.
However, their grief grew every time they recovered the body of a victim. Deden cried every time. He knew them all. “I am sad yet grateful that I was allowed to live and help find the victims who were lost [to the disaster],” he said.
The SAR team greatly appreciated Deden and other residents for their help with the search. “The residents’ involvement was very helpful. Most of the victims’ houses were not visible because they were buried,” said Military Resort 061/Suryakencana commander Col. M Hasan.
Getting back up
It might appear to be coincidence, but Deden’s experience in the village was the determining factor. He often took the main road and saw the trees around a villager’s house in his job of selling cosmetics door to door. Every day, he went from house to house to offer powders, lipsticks and facial cleanser. This is why Deden knew where the houses were located and the clothes its residents wore. “I was called ‘Mang Metik’ for selling cosmetics,” said Deden, who was known to all his customers.
Discovering the nine bodies near the musholla was more than just a guess. Deden was familiar with the habits of the people who prayed regularly and followed the subsequent Quran reading, as he had volunteered as a Quran teacher for the local children for the last five years.
“From the beginning, I wanted people to deepen their knowledge of religious teachings and adhere to religious customs,” said Deden.
He did not just talk; he acted with love. He did not expect any money. Yet, he accepted with genuine gratitude the Rp 150,000 honorarium the village administration paid him every two months. His good deeds even extended to accompanying the local women to Quran recitations.
His efforts and prayers became the backbone of his strength in encouraging his fellow villagers to get back on their feet. Although he was traumatized every time he heard the earth roar and the sound of heavy rain, Deden wanted to restart the Quran readings.
In addition to offering up praise for the Almighty, the Quran readings are a means of calming the soul after the disaster. The readings are held in one of the few houses that remain standing after the landslide as the village awaits word from the local administration on their relocation.
“Hopefully, we can read the Quran somewhere proper [soon],” said Deden.
Deden also plans to resume his job of selling cosmetics in the village. However, he does not expect that he will sell many products. He understands that the people are still grieving from the disaster. Deden says that his main aim is to talk with each person, and hopes that the survivors will talk to each other, and that sharing their trauma will lessen its effect. The topics could range from disaster mitigation to rebuilding their lives.
Deden’s loyalty and dedication is proof that brotherhood cannot be buried by a disaster. All should stand together to face the aftermath, armed with the hope of a better life together in this disaster-prone land.
Deden Sudendi
Born: Cisolok, Sukabumi regency, Aug.
5, 1988
Education: SDN Bojong Cisolok elementary school (graduated in 2005)