Efforts to Bring Joy Back into Lives of Child Survivors in West Sulawesi

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

Activities of children survivors of the earthquake in the Covid-19 tent of the Ministry of Social Affairs at Manakarra Stadium, Mamuju, West Sulawesi, on Monday (18/1/2021).

The earthquake that devastated parts of Mamuju and Majene in West Sulawesi caused trauma among the survivors, especially children. Recovery is crucial for their future.

Dika (12), one of the survivors of the Mamuju earthquake, was diligently drawing on paper distributed by the Social Affairs Ministry Psychosocial Support Service team at the Manakarra Stadium evacuation post, on Tuesday (26/1/2021). After 30 minutes, he showed a picture of a swing and a slide, complete with a rainbow and sky backdrop.

"I want to play freely again like before," said Dika spontaneously about his inspiration for drawing the object.

About 40 children joined the drawing activity. This activity was one of the ways to console the survivors of the 6.2 magnitude earthquake that occurred on 15 January.

Petut Wibowo, coordinator of the Social Affairs Ministry\'s Psychosocial Support Services (LDP) at Manakarra Stadium Post, saw that Dika\'s picture portrayed the meaning of freedom for a child. The swing and slide describe Dika\'s longing for the playground. The rainbow shows Dika\'s fading joy.

"Drawing activity is our way of channeling the emotions. They need a way to get rid of feelings of sadness, fear and worry after experiencing a traumatic event," said Wibowo.

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In one session of the psychosocial support program, children aged 5-12 years participated in a number of activities. Apart from drawing, in the one-hour duration of each session, volunteers guided the children to sing, chant and write down activities that they would love to do when conditions in Mamuju gradually recover.

"I want to play soccer," wrote Farhan (6) who is always excited and interested in speaking into a microphone.

This is because after the earthquake occurred, the majority of children at the evacuation post were gloomy, sad and confused about what their families were experiencing.

The psychological support program is an effort by the Social Affairs Ministry to help child survivors of the earthquake to feel joy again. This is because after the earthquake occurred, the majority of children at the evacuation post were gloomy, sad and confused about what their families were experiencing.

On that basis, the Social Affairs Ministry started the LDP program on Monday (18/1). The program takes place every morning and evening in a tent measuring 8 x 16 square meters inside Manakarra Stadium.

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"At the beginning of the meeting, they did not have the enthusiasm to follow the games we offered. If not handled properly, this condition would have a bad impact on children\'s growth and development, for example, they would often lock themselves up, be quiet and cry easily when memories of the earthquake come out," said Wibowo.

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

Activities of children survivors of the earthquake in the Covid-19 tent of the Ministry of Social Affairs at Manakarra Stadium, Mamuju, West Sulawesi, on Monday (18/1/2021).

A week after regularly participating in LDP, around 40 children from a number of villages or subdistricts in Mamuju began to mingle with each other and help their friends to join the games. Dika, for example, doesn\'t hesitate to share colored pencils with two other friends.

LDP volunteers from the Social Affairs Ministry deliberately gave a box of 12 colored pencils for use by three children. The goal is to create a sense of togetherness among the children.

To carry out psychosocial recovery for children, the Social Affairs Ministry cooperates with 36 social organizations and institutions. One of them is the Muhammadiyah Disaster Management Center (MDMC). Similar to the Social Affairs Ministry, MDMC has also started a psychosocial program for around 40 children around the MDMC central post in Karema subdistrict, Mamuju District, Mamuju.

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Every morning and evening, the children routinely participate in a number of activities, such as singing, reciting the Quran, listening to the prophet\'s stories and learning congregational prayers. MDMC also opens up as much as possible to the presence of children at the main post, which is a mosque.

The yard of the post never lost various children\'s activities. Starting from playing soccer to chasing each other was conducted by the children alongside the activities of the MDMC volunteers in preparing aids and services for the refugees.

“We don\'t want to limit their activities. Let them enjoy playing whatever they can so they don\'t remember bad memories when they the earthquake hit,” said Amiruddin Bakri, MDMC psychosocial volunteer.

Education

Psychosocial programs aren\'t just for bringing joy to children. This program also provides provisions for them to prepare themselves if natural disasters occur again in the future.

The children or little survivors at least understand the basics when an earthquake occurs, namely the safest way to evacuate themselves.

The Social Affairs Ministry organized a special session in the form of disaster education for children. The children or little survivors at least understand the basics when an earthquake occurs, namely the safest way to evacuate themselves.

“We want them to be individuals who are ready to face disasters. In addition, children are no longer affected by fake news that can easily appear on their devices,” said Wibowo.

As for the MDMC psychosocial program, Islamic religious education is expected to become a fortress that can bring hope to them.

“We give the children provisions [to keep the faith] that Allah is always present and never sleeps, and that there is always a lesson to learn from a disaster. We are here to boost optimism so that the children will be enthusiastic about their future," said Amiruddin.

Through this effort, he hopes, the earthquake will not prevent the little survivors from achieving their dreams.

(This article was translated by Kurniawan Siswoko).