Children Rise Together

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Children, who were displaced by landslides, give a roar of approval after they were invited to play and learn by volunteers at a shelter in Cimapag hamlet, Sirnaresmi village, Cisolok district, Sukabumi regency, West Java, on Saturday.

Around 50 students of SDN 3 state elementary school and SMPN 3 state junior high school gathered together in a 105-square-meter tent in Cisolok district, Sukabumi regency, West Java. They were taking part in an activity initiated by aid volunteers and the police.

“Di sini senang, di sana senang, di mana-mana hatiku senang... (I’m happy here, I’m happy there, I’m happy everywhere)”

Tsunami survivor Yeni, 10, sang with dozens of other children on Saturday (1/5/2019) at an emergency shelter in Garehong kampung, Cimapag hamlet of Sirnaresmi village in Sukabumi. After the song, they looked at each other and clapped and cheered.

At first, the children were tense. This was their first day back at “school” after a landslide hit their village on Monday evening (12/31/2018).

Adj. Sr. Comr. Suryaningsih from the West Java Police was their teacher that day, and the one who asked the children to sing several different children’s songs together. The songs ranged from local children’s songs like the “Di Sini Senang, Di Sana Senang” above to songs from popular cartoon shows, such as “Hey, Tayo!” from Tayo the Little Bus.

After the children grew more relaxed, they were asked to color pictures. Yeni enthusiastically grabbed a green coloring pencil. It took only 10 minutes for the fourth-grader to finish coloring a picture of a mosque.

The children were encouraged to play during the two-hour activity. Suryaningsih split up the children into five groups of 10 to play snakes and ladders or congklak (mancala).

“I’m so happy that school has started again. I got a doll, a bag and so many snacks. It was fun,” said Yeni, who was still grieving over her father, who was killed in the landslide.

Yeni’s aunt Sukenah, 30, said that the activity helped the local parents. She said she was grateful to see her niece smiling after the activity. She said that Yeni had rarely smiled after the landslide.

“Her mother survived, but she is still in shock. She faints often. I’m glad that there’s an activity for Yeni. [Now that] she can play with so many friends, hopefully she can forget the landslide. If she stays at home all day, she will only cry,” said Sukenah.

Another young survivor, Sutisna, 14, also participated in the school activity. The boy, who dreams to become a professional footballer, hoped that the activity would be held every day before the “real school” resumed.

“At home, I think too much about mother and father. Here, playing with friends, I can forget my sadness a little,” said Sutisna, whose parents were killed in the landslide.

Relieving stress

The fun learning activity aims to help the disaster-affected children overcome their stress. Disasters that kill family members and destroy homes can leave lasting psychological trauma in children.

Jariyahku volunteer Danang, 35, said the foundation had collaborated with the West Java Police to restore the children’s mental health. He said that children were often neglected in post-disaster efforts, as the adults were busy evacuating victims and organizing logistics, even though neglecting children’s psychological condition could be dangerous.

“Without proper help within the first two weeks, psychological stress can take root [in children] and this can severely undermine their spirit and self-confidence,” Danang explained.

The Jariyahku volunteers and the West Java Police therefore prioritized psychosomatic therapy for children during the emergency response for Sukabumi. Through fun learning activities, children can feel safe, secure and happy.

Comr. Festie Roosmayanti from the West Java Police said that psychological counseling for children should not stop after the post-disaster emergency period. Therapeutic treatment could only come to an end when the child had fully recovered from psychological trauma.

“The loss of one’s parents can seriously affect the children’s lives. It is impossible to recover fully in just a day or two. We will continue to monitor their psychological condition constantly,” said Festie.

Getting back up

The residents of Garehong said that they did not want to wallow in grief for too long, as they planned to restart school soon after the post-disaster emergency period ended. This means that school will resume on Monday, Jan. 7.

The landslide laid waste to Garehong, with the latest data showing that 32 residents were killed while one resident remained missing. Homes and rice fields were buried under the landslide.

Beyond the disaster, however, the children of Garehong have shown great resilience in moving on with their lives and rebuilding their dreams. While learning from their experience, they are getting back up together to achieve their dreams.

“The learning activities must go on. We must not wallow in sorrow. We will use classrooms as [disaster] posts for only a week. Afterwards, our children will go back to school,” said Sukabumi Regent Marwan Hamami.

Marwan has instructed the hamlet and village heads to ensure that all children receive their education. The regency provides free basic education up to junior high school.

For higher education, Social Affairs Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said last Thursday during his visit to disaster-affected areas that disaster-affected children would enjoy free education through the Indonesia Smart Card (KIP) program. (NIKOLAUS HARBOWO/KELVIN HIANUSA)