UNAIR NEWS – After being released directly by UNAIR Rector Prof. Nasih along with other UNAIR leaders on Monday 14 December, Airlangga Knights Team continues to strive and help the victims of Sunda Strait tsunami, precisely on Sebesi Island, Lampung.
Iqbal Adi Kurniawan, one of the team members explained that the residents had begun to recover. Likewise, farmers can work as usual. However, fisherman are still not been able to work because the boat was damaged by tsunami.
According to Iqbal, when earthquake triggered a tsunami that struck the location, people ran to Mount Sebesi, so it did not take many casualties. Even so, there had been famine and children were traumatized.
“Most of the damage occurred to residents’ houses around the coast, close to Anak Krakatau volcano.” Said Iqbal.
Furthermore, the team then decided to give psychosocial assistance or trauma healing to all of the children in there. In addition, volunteers also help residents clean up, provide logistical, medical assistance and participate in teaching children. The trauma healing that the volunteers was by inviting residents to work out and held several competition.
“We were welcomed very well here (Sebesi Island, ed),” said Iqbal.
There were several things learned by volunteers while interacting with the people in there and this experience definitely brought them closer. Not only that, it’s hard for the volunteers to find a signal. Thus, they rarely use their cellphones and focus on serving the community.
Volunteers must be ready 24/7. Remote locations, the electricity only available from six o’clock in the afternoon to two o’clock in the morning, and the area is close to Mount Kratau, so they should to be ready all the time. In fact, to get to the island, volunteers must also continue to stand by on a large ship or small boat and sometime it can be shaky.
“In here, I just realized that Indonesia is a huge country, and our country needs us (students, ed),” said Iqbal.
I was impressed with all of children who were there. Even though they are still small, these children want to sell jackfruit or make a key chains from used bottles to buy rice, school supplies, and so on.
“Hopefully people here (Sebesi Island, ed) are strong in facing this hard moment.” concluded Iqbal. (*)
Author: Galuh Mega Kurnia
Editor: Binti Q. Masruroh
