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!