Sharing in a Time of Difficulties
Amid limitations and difficulties, many earthquake and tsunami victims in Central Sulawesi are showing kindness and generosity toward others. In the name of humanitarianism and solidarity, they share what they have to help one another.
The air was stiflingly hot on Jl. Palu-Kulawi in Dolo district, Sigi regency, on Monday (1/10/2018). In front of the car that Kompas was in, an old, dull blue Toyota Kijang minivan with plenty of dent-covering putties was zooming ahead.
Once in a while, the car pulled over and a man emerged, bringing live chickens from inside the car. The man gave the chickens to disaster victims on the roadside. Seeing the commotion, several bikers pulled over and tried to ask the man for the chickens.
One by one, the chickens were taken out of the car and changed hands. After a while, the man – 21-year-old Gilang Setiawan – returned inside the car and zoomed off. At another evacuation shelter not far ahead, the car made another stop.
“This is just personal donation,” said Gilang in response to Kompas’ question during a stopover at an evacuation shelter in Kotapulu village, Dolo district, Sigi.
After distributing 80 live chickens, Gilang returned to his home, which is also in the village. Even after he had handed over his last chicken, many locals were still asking for them. “Just wait, okay. We’ll get back here later,” Gilang said.
Gilang is the son of a local chicken farmer. He decided to distribute his chickens to local disaster victims as no aid packages had arrived in the area four days after the 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck on Sept. 28. The area is not too far from Palu. “We just try to share what we have. We are all together in these difficult times,” Gilang said.
No matter how small the help is, it matters a lot to disaster victims – many of whom are having difficulties obtaining even the most basic daily needs. Packages of staple needs are needed not only by those whose belongings were destroyed during the disaster, but also by those who still have money.
Paralyzed
Public service and most businesses in Palu, Donggala and Sigi – the three worst-hit regions in the disasters – are still paralyzed. The electricity network is still down and the region-owned water company (PDAM) cannot supply clean water.
The majority of shops and markets, especially in Palu – Central Sulawesi’s financial center – remain closed. Only a few have reopened. Fuel has become scarce.
Gilang said there were many other chicken farmers in the area. However, many of their chicken coops were destroyed during the earthquake and the chickens buried under the rubble. Gilang’s family farm was one of the few that escaped nature’s wrath.
“Our chickens also survived. However, as everything is still paralyzed, including chicken feed sales centers in Palu, we cannot feed our chickens. Rather than having them dying for nothing, I think it is better to just distribute them to those in need,” Gilang said.
The distributed chickens are those that weigh at least two kilograms. As a matter of fact, Gilang’s family would not have any difficulty finding buyers if they wanted to sell the chickens at Rp 50,000 (US$3.31) each. However, the family decided to distribute the chickens for free, seeing the many disaster victims in urgent need of sustenance.
Willingness to share
Initiatives of sharing resources and solidarity among disaster victims are cropping up in Palu. Kotapulu village grocer Amalia, 40, for instance, distributed the goods in her store, including rice and instant noodles, for free to the village’s evacuation shelters.
It was only after she had distributed all her rice stock that she realized she did not have any left for her own family. “However, I do not regret what I did. I am grateful that all my family members survived. Many others lost so many,” she said.
Ni Made Suriyani has opened her doors to anyone in need of clean water. On Monday, a long line formed at her house of people wanting to take a quick shower, wash clothes or get some water.
In her backyard, clear water flowed freely out of a pipe. The new water source emerged after the earthquake. The water pipe had been dried up for the past few years, despite a 34-meter-deep well having been dug.
“I see the water as a blessing. I let everyone come here and take it. Everyone needs water and this is the only thing I have to share. I never deny anyone [access to the water] as long as they can get in line,” Suriyani said.
Gilang, Amalia and Suriyani’s willingness to share amid difficulties serves as a beacon of uplifting spirit amid this sorrowful incident.
(MOHAMAD FINAL DAENG/RENY SRI AYU)