Two volunteers from Holland share their plans, inspirations and motivations

We will introduce ourselves; we are Dutchies from Amsterdam, named Dan and Rachel. We are 22 and 24 years old and are still students.

This is the storyof how we met the wonderful Godeliva Sari, and what we had in mind before we went to Klaten.

After the earthquake in Yogyakarta and her surroundings, we had the feeling we really wanted to help in some way or another, since we already planned to travel to Indonesia and wanted to go to Java.

Dan has never been to Indonesia and wanted to see his grandma’s roots as she grew up nearby Klaten and the fact my grandparents are from Solo and Sumatra as well. The only thing was, we did not know HOW to help!

When I opened an email at work from my aunt Landina, I started to think this is a great plan! My aunt just sent a simple but short deed mail to family and friends and asked for donations for the victims of the earthquake, and so she left for Yogyakarta and met her friends who helped her organise the distribution of necessities for the homeless people and people in need.

She also had email contact with Chandra Kirana who gave her the telephone number of Sari. My aunt recommended Sari because she was more our age and could speak English, so that would be easier for us to communicate!

So we called and emailed Sari a lot before we left and we read about the activities reported on this site and we really were impressed and inspired by the reports she wrote and the photos she published of the disaster area around Klaten!

Sari told us about the latest "gedeg" distribution and the funds donated by family and friends, in Indonesia and overseas, for the people of Bicak and Ngunut. Our idea was to distribute necessary goods needed in this area but we had to have details and information on what would be useful, since we came 2.5 months after the disaster. Sari was happy to help us and we were able to stay in her uncle’s house in Klaten.

And so began our adventure in Bicak and Ngunut under Sari's supervision... please read the following posts for the full story!

Our introduction to Klaten

When we arrived in Yogya we got picked up by this amazing ‘little one’ called Sari, (Dan used to call her like that because he is 2 heads bigger, but in fact she is a ‘big one’.

While we got driven to the city we had a nice start to begin with. In the Matahari mall we had a back and forth conversation about our inspirations, interests and life. We talked about our plans and possible activities which we all realised the next coming weeks. She was still busy distributing the "Gedegs", weaved bamboo, for the Bicak and Ngunut.

A truck laden with the third "gedeg" delivery.

Dan and Rachel help to roll the "gedeg" which will be taken home.

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The next day we arrived in Klaten, the truck with all the bamboo "gedegs" was already waiting for us. We went into Bicak and Ngunut and started the jobs, the families came to the distributing spot to receive the "gedegs" for their house. The name list was spoken by Mia, a great friend of Sari who helps as well with this all. People were excited to see us and introduced themselves to us. ‘Monggo…’ and ‘permisi’... like welcome, my name is Dan and Rachel. Kita orang Belanda, kita mau bantu! (We’re Dutch people and want to help).

Especially the women and the anak-anak (the kids) were amazed by Dan’s length and probably due to the fact that they’ve never seen a white guy.

Rachel and the kids in the children center, in Bicak.

Dan and the kids in front of Brangkal II Elementary School in Bicak.

We saw the skeletons of houses

As we walked through the village back to Sari's uncle's house. We saw what the disaster had caused to Bicak and Ngunut. The skeletons of houses standing between piles of bricks were a big example.

Extremely hot blue tents are their replacement houses in this time of need. So we saw a lot of different improvised houses, build from pieces of pillars, old wooden doors and leftovers of what used to be a wall.

Some of the families already received "gedegs" a week after the earthquake from Sari.

Alip’s house now in Ngunut.

Sabini and Saminten’s house in Bicak.

Back in the home we were really well taken care of by an ibu. Nice kampong food, fresh and especially pedas (spicy)! We ‘hhhmmmdd’ all the time.

The basic necessities

As the next project followed we made a plan for the shopping list.

This time we’d be going to buy milk for the children and for the older people and get some non prescription drugs. We also bought baby powder, cough syrup, shampoo, medicines, pain killers, fungus cream, etc. plus instant milk for all ages, from one month till ten years (160 packs) and milk (60 cans) - the sweet condensed milk for the older people.

As we walked trough the Matahari market, we shopped till we dropped for the Bicak and Ngunut people. We counted a total of 4 shopping carts packed with boxes of milk and other necessities for infant and maternal care . At least ten boxes stacked in the jeep!

The susu (milk) and the medicines were distributed by our team and everybody laughed when Rachel mispronounced the Indonesian or Javenese names. But enough trima kasih (thank you) and appreciation were included in both Bicak and Ngunut.

Milk and medicine distribution in Ngunut.

Bicak kids hold their milk in the children center, Bicak.

Teaching grade three in a tent class-room

Meanwhile, as the "gedeg" distributions were on the go, we taught the elementary school to grade 3 till 6.

"Hari ini kita mau mengajar bahasa Inggris"

(We’re going to teach you English today).

Because of the earthquake the school building is totally destroyed and the children are being taught in extremely hot tents.

As the construction workers build seven days a week to rebuild the school, sometimes we heard a loud noise and a shaking followed. The children are very traumatised and the panic begun after the remind ness of the earthquake. They started to scream; tsunami… earthquake! As we explained it were only walls falling down due to construction workers they calmed down.

It was really sad to see how traumatized these kids are. It has touched our hearts.

While we taught we concentrated especially on happiness and laughter with singing some nice educative songs, which Sari taught us!

The grade 3 class.

Dan teaching English to the grade 3 students.

A private place for a bath

The new project became Kamar mandi’s, 3 washing spots located in Ngunut.

The walls went down during the earthquake so people couldn’t wash in full privacy. Bags of sand and cement were asked.

A lot of people use these washing places so as we bought the material in the morning they immediately started to build the places. All together.

The users of the first well made a sign that the well was donated by Our friends from Holland. We also sponsored a few pipes for a good sewer.

A moment of laughter and happiness

The next event brought a moment of laughter and happiness. It made the villagers forget, for a moment, the difficult times they are living in, It was the organisation of the Independence Day celebration. We wanted to organise this day for both the hamlets, so they could share happiness and laughter trough a day filled with games against each other. Meetings followed between the leaders of the hamlets, Mia and us. By sharing Sampoerna’s (name of Indonesian cigar) and other kreteks’s, eating peanuts and other snacks we came to a wonderful day.

When the night began with the traditional music we were honoured guest, we were asked to sit next to the head of the village and were treated as friends. While they had a speech about ‘merdeka’ (freedom) and ‘independency’ we received a big thank you for sponsoring the band. For the first time they could dance and have fun, a man told Sari that he forgot that he doesn’t have a house anymore due to this moment of joy. This is what we wanted to hear. We started to do the jolly good dance as well with the thumbs up! So much fun!



Then the day of the celebration started early, at 8 o’clock. First the kids, they had to bite coins out of papaya’s with where painted black with char and oil, so when they were finished they were al covered with black spots on their faces. After this the rope pulling by the ibu’s and then the soccer played by the men. Eventually came the most spectacular game, the bamboo climbing. At the end of the day the winners of the games could pick up the prices and the most of the contesters walked home with a big smile. After that they thanked us and we started dancing again with the ‘Cammila’song (Indonesian song). Before we left we cooked green bean pourage and bought the kids biscuits and books (600) for the school. They came immediately with their cups and spoons. It was so cute to see these busy bees.




They made up marvellous games; such as men playing soccer with dresses and eyecups on, bamboo climbing while the tree is drained in oil and sand, and other funny games. There were snacks and drinks and a big Javanese music band the night before the day. Everybody had the chance of participating with the games because there were some nice prices to win. Like gedegs, oil (14), mattresses (11), pillows (11), blankets (5), pans (12), hygienic kits like towels (21), shampoo (12), toothpaste (12), tampons and lots more.

Our purpose of helping was to give some moments of relief and distressing after the earthquake, our imagination about this project came true. Thanks to especially Sari not to forget Mia and other willing workers in her team. A beautiful experience that we will cherish during our lives…

Dan and Rachel

Letter from May Gabriel from London to the children of Bicak and Ngunut

Hi, My name is May Gabriel and I used to live in Bantul, Indonesia. I then moved to London, England when I was around 4 years old. Early this July I did a speech to raise money for you. We raised quite a lot. How are you all? I have asked Sari to ask you if you could write some letters and draw some pictures here is a picture I have drawn:

It represents world love (the heart) and world peace (the dove). I hope you like it!Well I’m just going to tell you a bit about my life, I live in a BIG city called London and a go to a girls only school (who helped me raise the money) I am 11 years old and I am moving into year 7 in school.

I have 1 brother called Serador who is 13. My mum is from another BIG city called Liverpool and my dad comes from Indonesia. I like tying ribbons in my hair and I also like going on the computer. My favourite subjects in school is Art and Computing. Here is a picture of me:


Just to tell you a bit about my school, my head teacher/ philosophy teacher is called Mrs Hyde here is a picture of her:




At my school we also do meditation. I have had my mantra for around 7 or 8 months.

My school is also vegetarian which means we don’t eat meat. Here are also some of my friends who helped raise some money:




From top left: Henrietta, Grace, Aditi, Caroline.
Middle left: Ella, May, Claudette, Lauren.
Bottom left: Thalia, Pheobe, Nicole.

Well that’s all about me now tell me about you!!!
Lots of love,
May
XxxxX

Two Volunteers from Sekaralas, Ita and Wulan share their experiences

Much of the activities reported here are managed on the ground by Godeliva Sari.

Sari manages SGN, which is a small community development group established to fan grass-roots entrepreneurialism in the village of Sekaralas in East Java, some 60 km away from the region immediately affected by the earthquake.

In 2004, the artist Bramantyo Prijosusilo and his sister, the environmental communicator, Chandra Kirana Prijosusilo established SGN in Sekaralas, their ancestral home.

SGN works to revitalise Sekaralas, protect its environment, and build it’s capacity for self-reliance by generating alternative income streams (traditional crafts and papermaking) working with children to rediscover local knowledge about indigenous plants and their uses, and providing opportunities to connect with a globalised world through Internet and English lessons. (The photo above shows Sekaralas children on an excursion to the local creek to see first hand the importance of clean waterways in maintaining ecosystem health).

Bicak and Ngunut is Sari’s ancestral home. Through Sari, the people of Sekaralas have been able to embrace the people of Bicak and Ngunut in friendship, forging a strong bond that has strengthened both communities.

The name SGN (Subur Gemi Nastiti) comes from Javanese mythology. Legend has it that in the Kingdom of Purwacarita (the beginning of tales) the King, Prabu Mahapunggung (King of the Mighty Back) had three wives (some say one) named Subur, Gemi, and Nastiti, which literally means Fertile, Thrifty and Prudent. The King and his Queen(s) had three children, Dewi Sri, Raden Sadana and Raden Wandu.

Dewi Sri and Raden Sadana taught the people of Java how to cultivate rice and other plants and how to keep them safe from pests. Until relatively recently the rice and fertility deities Dewi Sri and her brother Raden Sadana were venerated in every Javanese home, and given the most sacred part of the house called the petanen or kobongan to reside in.

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Between 9-16 July, two young women from the village of Sekarals, Ita and Wulan, spent their holidays volunteering in Bicak and Ngunut, Klaten Central Java.

Both are in their final year of senior high school (which is the equivalent of year 12 in Australia) - they are 3rd year students at SMA Negeri 1 in Ngrambe, a small town that is just a little up the road from Sekaralas.

Ita and Wulan assisted SGN worker Mia around Bicak and Ngunut doing important research, talking to each household to collect data on what is needed.

They worked hard, entertained the children and put in a helping hand wherever they saw a need.

Here they report on their experiences volunteering during their school break.

My experiences volunteering in Bicak and Ngunut

My name is Yulita Andriyani, and I am known simply as Ita. I am in my final year of Senior High School, I am a student at SMA 1 in Ngrambe, East Java.

I would like to share with you my experiences volunteering in Bicak and Ngunut during my school holidays.

Earlier this year, before the earthquake, I never suspected that I would be spending my school holidays away from my home. After all, I have always spent my school holidays at home in the village of Sekaralas.

When the earthquake hit the Jogjakarta and Klaten areas, I could only feel a small tremor in Sekaralas. When my friend Wulan and I were being introduced to the community, we were finally able to really appreciate the strength of the earthquake. We saw first hand that it destroyed just about every home and all the school buildings.
I am very saddened to see first hand the destruction, and I am most thankful that in Sekaralas we experienced the earthquake as a mere tremor.

I have made many friends here, especially Ambar and Dwi who worked with us to collect data on what each household needed most, whether it is medicines, tents, blankets, food or milk for the infants. I felt the impact of this activity very deeply, the sadness almost overwhelming. So many people lost homes and those that are most precious to them, their kith and kin.

I have also learnt many things volunteering in this place. I have learnt to notice things like community spirit and the environment in which we live. I pray that God gives people here inner strength and sagacity so that rebuilding can occur without further delay.

I also hope that our Government can provide meaningful assistance to those most in need. And to everyone else out there reading this, I urge you to extend your hand in what ever capacity you can to help my new friends.

Warm greetings
Ita (17 years old)

Namaku Yulita Andriyani. Aku kelas III di SMAN I Ngrambe, Ngawi, Jawa Timur. Aku ingin berbagi pengalaman dengan kalian semuanya semasa liburan sekolahku. Liburan tahun ini aku tidak menyangka kalau aku akan pergi meninggalkan rumah, karena dari semua liburan yang aku dapatkan, semuanya kuhabiskan di rumah saja (Desa Sekaralas). Saat gempa di Yogyakarta dan Klaten, aku hanya bisa merasakan getaran gempa bumi itu di sini.

Saat aku berkeliling dengan temanku di Klaten, tepatnya di Dusun Ngunut dan Bicak, aku bisa melihat betapa dasyat gempa bumi itu hingga merobohkan hampir semua bangunan yang ada dan sarana sekolah. Aku sangat bersyukur sekali, di desaku hanya terasa getarannya saja. Di dua dusun tempat kami tinggal 1 minggu ini, sangat menyedihkan kondisinya. Banyak keluarga yang kehilangan rumah mereka dan hanya mendirikan tenda-tenda darurat di lahan yang aman.

Di sini aku mendapatkan banyak teman; diantaranya adalah Ambar dan Dwi. Mereka banyak membantuku dalam mencari data tentang penduduk yang sangat perlu bantuan yang berupa obat-obatan, tenda darurat, selimut, makanan dan susu untuk para balita. Di tempat ini aku bsia merasakan kesedihan yang amat dalam karena orang-orang kehilangan rumah, harta benda dan mungkin sanak keluarga mereka.

Di sini, di dusun ini, aku belajar banyak tentang semua hal. Tentang masyarakat di sekitarku dan lingkungan mereka semua. Aku hanya bisa berdoa kepada Tuhan Yang Maha Esa supaya mereka semua yang mendapatkan musibah gempa bumi diberi ketabahan dan juga ikhlas. Semoga pemerintah Indonesia memberikan bantuan kepada yang mendapat musibah. Dan untuk yang membaca pengalamanku ini, ulurkanlah tangan kalian untuk membantu orang-orang yang berada dalam kesusahan dan kesedihan ini.

Salam
Ita

What a mighty earthquake it was

What a mighty earthquake it was that hit this place on 27 May 2006. Strong enough to flatten homes, seriously injure the unlucky ones or even much, much worse.

First day in Klaten, Mbak (lit. big sister) Sari introduced Ita and I to the Bicak and Ngunut community. What we did on that first day, walking around and meeting people directly affected by the earthquake will make a deep and lasting impression on me.

I really empathise with those who have lost so much, everything they own, their homes, and in some cases, family, neighbours or close friends. And I was impressed by how resourceful people are, using what ever material they could salvage from the wreckage to put together a temporary home to live in until their real homes can be rebuilt.

Some people have begun rebuilding their permanent homes. Mostly they are using salvaged building materials and whatever tools are at hand. People are hopeful that our Government, as well as kindhearted people everywhere will provide assistance in this rebuilding process.

I wish for the communities experiencing this hardship an open heart so that they can face the next phase of the rebuilding with the same resilience they have so far demonstrated.

Regards
Wulan (17 years old)


Betapa dasyatnya gempa yang terjadi tanggal 27 Mei 2006, sehingga mengakibatkan banyak rumah ang rusak bahkan merobohkan sampai merobohkan rumah-rumah dan membuatnya rata dengan tanah. Banyak korban meninggal dan luka-luka.

Hari pertama di Klaten, aku, Ita dan Mbak Sari keliling Dusun Bicak dan Ngunut untuk berkenalan dengan warga dusun. Hal itu berkesan untukku selama 1 minggu ku di sana, karena pada saat itu adalah kesempatan pertamaku untuk bisa melihat langsung keadaaan dan kondisi di Klaten setelah terjadi gempa.

Betapa menyedihkan hal itu bagi warga Bicak dan Ngunut. Banyak warga kehilangan rumah, keluarga, sanak saudara bahkan harta benda yang mereka miliki. Para warga yang rumahnya tidak bisa ditempati lagi, kemudian mendirikan tenda-tenda dengan perlengkapan seadanya.

Sudah 3 minggu berlalu dan rumah-rumah penduduk masih banyak rumah penduduk yang tidak bisa ditempati. Tapi ada sebagian yang sudah mulai memperbaiki rumah dengan bahan dan alat yang masih bisa digunakan lagi. Warga yang belum memperbaiki rumahnya masih tidur di tenda-tenda yang mereka tempati setelah terjadi gempa.

Banyak warga yang mengharapkan bantuan dari pemerintah dan sukarelawan yang berbesar hati mau membantu mereka. Aku berharap semua warga yang terkena gempa dapat menerima musibah ini dengan lapan dada dan diberi ketabahan untuk menghadapi semua cobaan ini. Aku juga berharap agar mereka dapat memperbaiki rumah mereka dengan cepat sehingga bisa segera ditempati.