The children say "Here is our story"

Sari's report from 13 June 2006

The children at Bicak and Ngunut would like to thank all of you for your help.

They are now writing stories about their experiences. Here are the first three stories from Bicak written by Sigit who is in grade 4, Suyatmi, who is in grade 5 and Abdul Rahman, who is also in grade 5.

I will send the other stories soon.

The children say that they would like to have pen pals, so if you are interested, please write.

Sigit's story (Grade 4)

Saturday 27 May 2006. A powerful earthquake hit the province of Central Java. The earthquake happened so suddenly. No one expected it.

When it happened, I was in my room, and my mum was in the kitchen cooking. Suddenly everything shook violently, I ran to the kitchen, and we both ran outside.

Once outside, the wooden post from the water well swung around and nearly hit me. Mum quickly pushed me out of the way, and the post grazed her instead, lucky she wasn’t hit hard.

Then the earth stopped moving. My mum picked me up and ran to the front yard where we turned around and saw the house in ruins. My brother and sister were still in the house! We ran back into the ruins shouting their names. We found them, and luckily, they were both OK.

Of course, everyone is shocked because the earthquake was so powerful. Now my sister cries all the time. I don’t know if she’s sad or what, but she wont stop crying.

Anyway, afterwards people were yelling out “there’s a flood, there’s a flood” so we all ran up the hill to save ourselves. Then on the way, some people told us there wasn’t a flood, but people didn’t care, they kept running to get away. When we got up the hill, the police were there and they told us that there was no flood, so we all went home to our wrecked houses. All day there were heaps of aftershocks, the earth was rocking.

That is my story of the earthquake. Once again, I would like to thank all of you.

Suyatmi's story (Grade 5)

On Saturday 27 May 2006, there was an earthquake. It was a tectonic quake.

Houses are in ruins. I feel very sad. Most of my family are safe, but some are hurt. Some of my neighbours are hurt too and some of them have died.

People are now living in tents or temporary houses made of bits and pieces. Even now, there are aftershocks. The earthquake came from the movement of the tectonic plates under the surface of the earth.

After the quake, our neighbours told us that a flood was coming. Thankfully, the flood turned out to be just a rumour. Everyone ran up the closest hill. Then when we realised there wasn’t a flood, we all ran down again. Then we all rested at the house at the bottom of the hill. From their garden, I could see our mountain, which is called Gunung Kidul. The mountain looked like it was moving, a follow-up earthquake.

Now I feel happy again, because we have a children’s centre where I can be with my friends in a safe place. My hope is that all the ruined houses can be fixed like they were before the earthquake. That everyone who was injured get better, and the people who lost family members can heal by being patient and giving thanks to God.

Abdul Rahman's story (Grade 5)

It was a Saturday morning, 5.56 am to be precise. The quake happened then. Mum and I ran out of the house.

We need a tent.

The earthquake made everyone scared and sad. All our houses are in ruins. Some people were hit by roof tiles and falling walls. The houses that are still standing are so unstable that you’d be scared to go in.

Everyone started to make a tent out of tarpaulins in their yards to live in. There was going to be aftershocks.

Everyone in the village needs help to rebuild.

Accounting for the help that is still needed while maximising the local potential

Sari's report from 12 June 2006

The population of Bicak consists of 475 people living in 130 households. In Ngunut there are 345 people living in 81 households.

Nearly every house in Bicak and Ngunut are in ruins. The few houses that are still standing need demolishing because they are unstable and risk collapsing.

Now that immediate emergency relief is not critical, the people of Bicak and Ngunut say that they are keen to begin rebuilding the local economy.

Most of the population work as farm labourers. Some work as construction workers on building sites. In the dry season, which it is now, almost everyone is a brick maker.

However, due to the quake, brick making is on hold. The clay and firewood for the kiln to make the bricks must be purchased, yet many people have spent the money they normally invest to make the first batch of bricks for the season on emergency supplies after the earthquake.

We are looking into a proposal to provide small “seeding” loans to the brick makers of Bicak and Ngunut so that they can begin the first batch of bricks for the season as usual. Restoring the brick making industry will not only help the economy recover, it will also provide much needed bricks to rebuild the homes. Of course, we will need funds to put this plan into action.

At present, we are working with the community to do the costing to determine the upfront investment required to begin production and the number of bricks needed to rebuild each home. We are also looking at the feasibility of alternative building materials, such as the woven bamboo walls called “gedek”.

However, before homes can be rebuilt, the debris from the quake needs to be cleared. For this, the community needs equipment for demolishing unstable walls left behind by the quake, like wrecking bars or crowbars, sledges and hammers, wire and bolt cutters and shovels. At present, people are using bamboo poles, which are effective, but not efficient for this task.

Cleaning up the debris that was once a home.

Demolishing buildings left unstable and unsafe.

With most of the houses destroyed, residents are living in tents, under tarpaulins, or "temporary houses" such as these.

Ms Wartini is a brickmaker. Here she explains how each brick is moulded out of clay, then dried and fired in the kiln.

Brick production in Bicak and Ngunut continues throughout the rainy season under the "plastic house" which must be rebuilt every year.

The Kiln used to fire the bricks.

Bicak and Ngunut residents take active role

Sari's report from 11 June 2006

Klinik Kerabat and SGN support the people of Bicak and Ngunut in the relief effort by involving local residents in every stage, this ensures the fair and equitable distribution of health services and supplies, so that families are not missing out.

Local residents and young people especially are enthusiastic, and have been working tirelessly on a daily basis distributing supplies to every household, as well as planning and organising many activities for the younger children.

By being involved the people of Bicak and Ngunut are taking responsibility to rebuild and revitalise their community, without relying heavily on SGN or Klinik Kerabat to organise the relief effort. Life must go on, and the community must play a leading role in its future.

In this way, we are acting as a conduit for those who wish to help to reach those affected by the earthquake.

Packing the wheelbarrow with supplies for the residents of Bicak.

Clowning around once the deliveries are done.

Ngunut residents distribute supplies in an orderly manner, so that every household in the community is catered for.

Building the public kitchen.

Supplies for the public kitchen.

A planning meeting with the community leaders of Ngunut.

Volunteers from St.Vincentius Catholic Hospital help in Bicak & Ngunut

10 June 2006 - Today was so busy!

Just as the Yayasan Bumi Kita team were saying goodbye to the people of Bicak and Ngunut, 5 nurses from the Catholic Hospital in Surabaya, St. Vincentius arrive with a Klinik Kerabat volunteer. The team worked very hard today, treating about 150 people in Bicak and Ngunut. Many adults were suffering 'flu, while several babies had diarrhoea.

Registering for treatment.

The clinic in action.

Waiting their turn.

A forehead wound received when a pillar collapsed.

This man has difficulty breathing. Since the earthquake, respiratory problems are becoming more common.

The Ngunut children’s centre up and running.

The yard of the Ngunut Mosque. The children's centre is built on this site.

Volunteers from the village of Sekaralas share an evening meal with residents of Bicak

Resting

Putting together a plan of action... Where to begin building the children's centre and public kitchen in Bicak.

Wahyu and Sari take measurements for the children's centre in Bicak.

A Ngunut resident climbs a coconut tree to reward the volunteers installing electricity with a refreshing drink of young coconut.

Mia with three fluorescent lights to hook up.

Installing electricity in Ngunut

Setting up the generator in Bicak

This is Saparto from Yayasan Bumi Kita enjoying a rest with the children of Ngunut.

Sri (wearing a blue shirt) with her friends. Sri suffered a broken leg from the earthquake. In the background, you can see the ruins of her home.

The chldren of Bicak say Hello.

They are standing outside the tent that is used as the health clinic.

The children of Ngunut say Hello.

Our heartfelt thanks

Our Heartfelt thanks to all our friends who have enthusiastically raised funds in a spirit of community that is much appreciated in Bicak and Ngunut. Your generosity means that we are able to provide much-needed health care, as well as begin the next phase in the journey towards recovery.

A very special thank you to our friends in Australia (Toowoomba, Armidale, Adelaide, Melbourne, Ballarat, and Colac) and London (the Sekar Gedhogan Gamelan Orchestra and residents of W Square).

We would also like to give our heartfelt thanks to the many local volunteers who have helped on the ground, in particular thank you to the volunteers from Yayasan Bumi Kita, ARS Internasional Bandung and the people of Sekaralas.

We are now working to support Bicak and Ngunut in the next phase of the relief effort, which so far includes:

• a public kitchen with cooking facilities in Bicak and Ngunut. The kitchens also provide nutritious food, providing vital energy for the difficult task of physically rebuilding homes; and
• a children’s centre in Bicak and Ngunut. The centres provide a safe place for children to gather and have fun while resuming some of their classes, under the supervision of the many capable young people from the community. We have stocked the children’s centres with our limited supply of storybooks, art materials, toys and jigsaw puzzles (puzzles are very popular). After classes, the children enjoy a biscuit and a glass of milk. The children's centres allow parents to concentrate on rebuilding their homes, without having to worry about the children getting in the way.

Locals combine resources for better results

The situation on the ground calls for a variety of community organisations to work together. In this spirit, Klinik Kerabat joined forces with SGN to coordinate efforts in the tiny hamlets of Bicak and Ngunut, where Yayasan Bumi Kita has recently joined them.

On Tuesday 6 June, Mr Siswandi Mukharal, head of the Community Recovery Team at Yayasan Bumi Kita arrived with seven volunteers from Pekalongan in the North Coast to work in Bicak for 5 days, until Saturday. They brought with them two generators, rice, hurricane lamps, cables, supplies and equipment for the kitchen. Following their arrival, we held a round-table discussion with community representatives from Bicak and Ngunut about their immediate and long-term needs.

Meeting with community leaders to plan the long term recovery

Sari is wearing a red T'Shirt, and Siswandi is in the white T'Sirt

Siswandi playing with Guntur (3 yrs old) in Ngunut

Yayasan Bumi Kita delivers tarpaulins, mats and blankets, donated by Terre Des Hommes, a Netherlands-based organization, for the communities of Bicak, Ngunut and the nearby village of Mundu

Installing electricity in Ngunut

The Tuesday Clinic - 6 June 2006

Klinik Kerabat health workers visit Bicak and Ngunut every Tuesday to deliver health services. Visiting today is Midwife Naomi, Doctor Jeanet and Doctor Benard, who is a volunteer from Kupang.

Midwife Naomi is in charge of the medicines

Medical checks at the Ngunut post

Dr Jeanet removes stitches from centenarian Grandmother Iro, who suffered a broken hand and a forehead wound.

Dr Jeanet examines a woman with a spinal chord injury

Sari's photo journal from Monday 5 June 2006

As the nursing students were preparing to return to Bandung, five SGN volunteers from Sekaralas arrived, bringing donations from the people of Sekaralas of money, traditional woven bamboo walls called gedeg to build a children's centre, 35 bamboo poles, rice and clothing. One piece of standard sized gedeg in the Yogyakarta area costs around Aust $5.20, SGN are able to source gedeg from the Sekaralas region for around half that price.

Donated bamboo leaving the SGN centre in Sekaralas

Locals and volunteers from SGN Sekaralas working together bulding the children's centre using the traditional woven bamboo walls called gedeg

Volunteers from Sekaralas and locals in front of the completed children’s centre

More photos from Sari...

Children help to deliver supplies to residents.

Student nurses from ARS Internasional in Bandung help to clear space for the public kitchen and the children's centre

Mia from SGN in Sekaralas and Wahyu (student nurse) help a family to set up a tent beside the ruins of their home.

Student Nurses help Klinik Kerabat dispense medical care

A group of student nurses from University “ARS Internasional” arrive from Bandung, bringing rice, instant noodles, milk and clothing donated by friends and colleagues.

Here a student nurse examines Mrs Tugini's baby.