What We Do in Wasior, Mentawai and Merapi?
Introduction
GKI Humanitarian thought it is necessary to present a summary report with respect to the successive disasters occurred in Wasior, Mentawai and Merapi. GKI Humanitarian heartened by GKI congregations and donors from domestic and abroad who are very enthusiastic to help. Thank you very much for your prayer and donation. Indeed the existence of GKI Humanitarian is NGO-like but not exactly NGO; rather it is an extension task foce of the Indonesian Christian Church (GKI) to manifest the love of Christ to every human being who is suffering, marginalized and quickly forgotten. We read in Gospels that Jesus always takes side to the poor who suffers. This is an underlying theology of GKI Humanitarian ministry.
We hope the information below can give a picture of what the GKI Humanitarian are doing in the last two months, October and November 2010.
Wasior
Day after huge flash floods struck Wasior on October 4, 2010, GKI Humanitarian sent its volunteers, who were involve in post-disaster work in Yapen-Waropen, to Wasior. We call it the "huge floods" because it is not only flash floods which inundate people, houses and buildings, but simply wipe out everything. Satkorlak (local unit of government for disaster) in County of Wondama Bay claimed the victims as follow: dead toll 145, seriously injured 179, lost 102. The remain resident Wasior survivors were immediately rushed to evacuate themselves to the West Papua's provincial capital, Manokwari. They were crowd the only ferry MV Nggapulu leaving for Wasior. On November 9, 2010 by the ship captain's permission, GKI Humanitarian’s medical team follows and medicates them. In Manokwari, our medical team provides services again to Wasior evacuatees by medicating the them in their refugee camps.
Based on the experience on board of MV Nggapulu, later our medical team was invited to strengthen the Navy hospital ship, KRI Dr. Soeharso. On board of this hospital ship has been served 1,500 patients and 80 among them were experienced major and minor surgery. Two doctors of GKI Humanitarian, Dr. Martin P. Panggabean and Dr. Elvina R. Manurung received a written expressions of thanks from the Vice Commander of Post-Disaster Recovery Task Force Wasior, Marine Colonel (K) Dr. IDG Nalendra.
Under continuous heavy rain, GKI Humanitarian serves not only health of the population, but also their logistical needs of food, clothing, tents, equipment etc. By the God's blessings GKI Humanitarian volunteers were accommodated at home office of the Regent of Wasior, even pampered by the Regents’ wife. Why is that? Because GKI Humanitarian along with the Indonesia Red Cross (PMI) are the two relief agencies who remained helping Wasior for over a month. This was stated by Kompas.com (electronic daily) edition of 16 November 2010. In addition, since the Wasior health facilities were destroyed and cannot functioning, then by the Local Government of Wasior, GKI Humanitarian is entrusted to establish and maintain an emergency hospital located at Wasior Social Service building. This emergency hospital known as the Emergency Hospital of GKI Humanitarian, and became the only health facility in the disaster area of Wasior. GKI Humanitarian was not only serve patients in the emergency hospital, but if there are patients who need it, they’re also picked up by our volunteers. While there are patients need to be referred to large hospital in Manokwari, they’re accompanied by our volunteers. This is mentioned in the report of Dr. Suryadi Sudarmo, Surgeon of the UKI (Christian University of Indonesia) Hospital in Jakarta and official of Ambulance 118 Foundation. GKI Humanitarian Wasior strengthened by 8 doctors and 12 volunteers. To continue to address the emergency hospital of GKI Humanitarian, in early December 2010 we will send doctors again for a periods of one and three months. The doctors are being sort from the graduates of the Faculty of Medicine of the Krida Wacana Christian University (UKRIDA, owned by GKI) to serve there for three months. The health center physician in Wasior is Dr. Johan Joteni, who graduated from Ukrida in 1993, so we hope cooperation among these doctors, will become more intertwined. Now Dr. Joteni handles the Emergency Hospital of GKI Humanitarian while awaiting the arrival of the GKI Humanitarian’s doctors from Jakarta.
Mentawai
After 7.2 Richter scale earthquake followed by tsunami on October 25, 2010 struck the west coast of the Mentawai Islands West Sumatra, GKI Humanitarian concentrates its ministry among other locations, in Hamlet Maonai, located at the southern tip of South Pagai in the Mentawai Islands. This hamlet is the most isolated hamlet where there is no road and the only way to reach this hamlet is by boat or ship. Storms and huge waves at that time blocking any aid to Maonai. In Maonai there are remaining 38 families who also lost their family members. In addition, in the hamlet of Eru Paraboat, west coast of the Island of South Pagai remaining 60 families whom immediately medicated by the medical team of GKI Kebayoran Baru. They were generally been sheltering in the hills away from the beach. That is safer for residents, but more difficult for the volunteers and medical team to reach them.
Logistical assistance in form of food, clothing, household supplies were distributed through the journey by boat which is relatively small. Testimony of GKI Humanitarian’s volunteer was quite touching and comical. The boat operator was insisted not to rent his boat, instead he was asking for fuel only. This man just lost his child and wife in the recent tsunami. He was touched by spirit of willingness of our volunteers who risking their lives in order to help the remaining residents in the most difficult areas. In that spirit, he volunteered to help GKI Humanitarian who came from afar to help Mentawai. Our volunteers also accommodated in the house of former local parliament members, Mr. Celsius. He was also involved with the same spirit in shipping services to remote hamlets along with GKI Humanitarian. This is funny: at the moment when volunteers pray ask for small waves for the sake of safety help, on the other side foreign surfers pray for great waves for good surfing.
GKI Humanitarian leader in Jakarta sends a greeting via short message to our first team as follows: "Dear Rasid, sorry to bother your exhaustion. I want you to know that in Jakarta we pray for your safety. This is not a cliché, but really an expression of gratitude that you represent us all. I also received an email from my friend Rev. Ken Williams, moderator of the Uniting Western Australia Synod that he also continued to pray for all of you. Please tell this to the doctors and volunteers, they are in our prayers. Blessings, Kuntadi.“ SMS reply by Rev. Rasid Rachman: "Reverend Father Kun, I've read this SMS in front of all the volunteers and the families that support field services of GKI Humanitarian in Mentawai. We were all welcomed it with applause and a thank you also for your support.“ In these hamlets GKI Humanitarian heard testimony about God's miraculous power. Two days after the tsunami, people found a baby stuck in a tree as high as 7 meters alive. Another baby found alive under a pile of wood which were scattered. God is able to use the tree and pile of wood to save the babies. These babies and many other children who lost their parents, of course, require a foster parent or guardian who can nurture and raise them. Seeing hundreds of orphaned children whom their parents died in recent tsunami, GKI Humanitarian in cooperation with the Protestant Christian Church of Mentawai (GKPM) are realizing an orphanage. On November 12, 2010, ceremony of laying the first stone of this orphanage is located in Nemnemleleu Sikakap, conducted by Ephorus (moderator) GKPM, Rev. Parsaoran Simanjuntak, Vice Regent of Mentawai, Mr. Judas Sabagalet, Military District Commander 0319 in Mentawai, Lieutenant Colonel. Kav. Josafat Duka, and GKI Humanitarian field Coordinator, Jusak I. Indrawan.
Other program of GKI Humanitarian in Mentawai is to improve five mass cemetries. FYI, in an emergency situation in the hamlet s of Muntei Baru-baru, Sabeu Gunggung, Eru Paraboat, Purourogat, Maonai these cemetries apparently was done mistakenly. The mass cemetries depth are only 50 cm, so the smell of corpses wafted everywhere and endangering people who are still alive. GKI Humanitarian considers it important to remake these mass cemeteries to honor those who have been killed and protect those who still alive.
GKI Humanitarian in Mentawai was strengthened by 6 doctors, 9 volunteers from various GKI congregations, and 7 local volunteers Mentawai. There's still a volunteer living in the Mentawai to oversee the construction of orphanages and wait for our next team.
Merapi
On the same day of the volcano eruption of Mount Merapi on October 25, 2010, GKI Humanitarian has started to move from both headquarters in the GKI Pajajaran Magelang and GKI Gejayan Jogjakarta. Both teams are getting more powerful and more volunteers, as well as more widely support. Activities began by distributing food to the refugees in several hamlets and villages around the slopes of Merapi, and only then we focused in refugee camps around cities of Magelang, Muntilan and Jogjakarta. When the ring of safety was change from 10 km and 15 km to 20 km (from the mountain top), there was a rush of refugees to other cities than above mentioned i.e. Klaten, Boyolali, Prambanan etc. GKI Humanitarian assistance to refugees was also widespread. Cooked rice, basic food, clothing, bedding, bathing, cooking equipments, etc. distributed to as many places where the refugees gathered, we even delivering food door to door together and guided by local residents. In this approach a number of hamlets and villages is nurtured by GKI Humanitarian. GKI Humanitarian apparently cannot help everybody, but at least the group that we helped was really helped conceptually. The concept of "From refugee to refugee “was applied in order to empower the refugees back to normal lives. They have also being facilitated to manage their own public kitchens in the barracks with the supply of basic food ingredients from GKI Humanitarian.
GKI Humanitarian in Jogja is establishing four posts to accommodate the refugees. Number of refugees who being served reaching 7,500-10,000 people. After the ring of safety became 20 km, GKI Humanitarian were also entrusted by Satkorlak of Jogja to handle the concentration of refugees in the Maguwoharjo Stadium especially the west area. With the support of the local unit of the Ministry of Religious Affair and Satkorlak, GKI Humanitarian with the GKI congregations of Jogja Presbytery were held a Sunday Service on every Sunday (31/10 and 7 / 11) located in west area of the Maguwo Stadium, UNY Stadium and our own posts. In celebrating Idul-Adha (Muslim religious holiday), GKI Humanitarian also facilitates the sacrificing and distribution of goat meat to the refugees. Goat donation was more than expected so that it can be distributed to other camps. Inter-faith prayer service conducted where Rev. Paulus Lie from GKI Humanitarian participate. GKI Humanitarian from Jakarta sent 10 doctors to Magelang and 7 doctors to Jogjakarta which all the physicians come from the Faculty of Medicine of UKRIDA.
There is a tendency while many refugees leaving barracks as a protest. In Maguwo Stadium the amount of refugees were dropped from 120,000 to 9,000. They said there are plenty of food for all, but the queue so long and take hours they can’t afford it anymore. While the refugees in GKI Humanitarian posts who feel well nurtured remain stay. Only two families who asked permission to go home. When later the condition of Merapi has subsided, GKI Humanitarian prepares the return of refugees to their houses by guarding them home and our volunteers are ready to help cleaning their houses from the dust and also bring other supplies for them.
Under the coordination of Her Majesty Queen Hemas and Her Majesty Queen Pembayun, a program was established for construction thousands of shelters for refugees whose house were completely destroyed. GKI Humanitarian was invited participate in this program. This can only be done with the other parties donors. Trauma healing services for children from 50 volunteers of Sunday school teacher were conducted jointly with Unicef's efforts in Wedi, Klaten. Later the Unicef asks GKI materials/ methods to be used by Unicef team elsewhere. GKI Humanitarian in Magelang and Jogjakarta have received logistical support, funds and personnel from various parties. Many GKI congregations came to help, as well as from GKI foundations. Other teams are, among others, the Presbyterian Church of Korea (PCK), Church of Christ Abdiel Surabaya, Alumni BOPKRI etc. They were come to bring aid and personnel. Some foreign volunteers have joined the GKI Humanitarian in Jogja.
In Jakarta a theological reflection on Merapi disaster was written titled "Mbah Maridjan, the Exemplary of Total Service" and in Jogjakarta titled "Uprighting People who cannot Stand Upright, Lk. 13:10-17." GKI Humanitarian in Jogja are strengthened by 40-50 volunteers each day that increased on a particular day up to 100-150 volunteers. 25 house wifes member of GKI have been continue to dedicate themselves to cook for the public kitchens until the refugees themselves were empowered to serve, so conceptually applies “from refugees for refugees.” In addition to our medical team, we also have 8 pharmacists who were involved to help in the case of pharmacy. Reliability to GKI Humanitarian strengthened significantly by the inclusion in the coordination service of Her Majesty Queen Hemas and Her Majesty Queen Pembayun from the Sultanate of Jogjakarta.
Epilog
GKI Humanitarian feels there are so many dynamics of post-disaster service which experienced by our volunteers which cannot be accommodated in this summary report. Joys and sorrows, emotion and laughter, relieve and angry, curious to ourselves and others etc. However, one of the principles GKI Humanitarian i.e realized that "we are facing a non-normal conditions in the affected area" typically make volunteers can transcend these conditions and still be grateful to Christ because we participate in His work. While GKI Humanitarian feels honored when included in the work of Her Majesty Queen Hemas, GKI feels much more honored cause we are included in the noble mission of the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be His Name forever.
Reported by
Rev. Kuntadi Sumadikarya
Head of GKI Humanitarian/
Moderator GKI West Java Regional Synod
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