Acehnese youngsters take shelter in 'pesantren'<\/p>\n
Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Aceh Besar<\/p>\n
Weeks after the tsunami struck, 16-year-old Nazarullah still
\ncould not forget the sight of his mother being swept away by the
\ntidal wave right before his eyes.<\/p>\n
The former student of an Islamic high school in Aceh Jaya
\nregency now sits quietly among other displaced children at Dayah
\n(pesantren, an Islamic boarding school) Mahyal Ulum, also in Aceh
\nBesar regency.<\/p>\n
"When the tsunami struck our village, my mother and I began to
\nrun. She was right behind me. But the water was very close and
\nswept her away. She cried for help....<\/p>\n
"I kept on running, but couldn't help her. The water swept my
\nmother away. I survived after holding on to a log. I keep
\nremembering this because I saw her being swept by water but
\ndidn't know where," Nazarullah told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He was taken to the boarding school by his father, a farmer in
\nAceh Jaya regency but is now living in a shelter with his elder
\nbrother. His sister was missing in the disaster.<\/p>\n
"Now I'm learning to recite the Koran as I was transferred
\nfrom my old school by tengku Dayah (Islamic teacher from the
\nboarding school)," Nazarullah said.<\/p>\n
Currently, there are around 130 children, all victims of the
\ndisaster, stying at the pesantren. Several of the children, aged
\nbetween six and 17, have lost one or both parents.<\/p>\n
Another child, 13-year-old Abdulhanan, survived because he
\nmanaged to reach the third floor of a store that stayed intact.
\nBut when he started looking for his parents, none of them were
\nfound.<\/p>\n
"I was taken to this pesantren by some men I don't know. I
\ndon't know what happen to my parents. But I'm happy staying here,
\nthere are many activities and I learn to recite the Koran. Maybe
\nwhen I grow up I want to be a tengku (Islamic teacher)," said the
\nboy who last year finished elementary school in Lamno, Aceh Jaya.<\/p>\n
In addition to the hours of rote memorization and recitation
\nof the Koran, the students also are involved in art, cooking and
\ngardening.<\/p>\n
Taufik, the general secretary of Rabithal Thaliban Aceh, an
\nassociation of pesantren students, said that by staying in the
\npesantren, it was hoped the children were getting regular
\nspiritual education.<\/p>\n
"Rabithal Ulum serves as a meditator between the children and
\nthe pesantren. We're keep records about the children that want to
\nstay in the pesantren and we take them there. Most of the
\npesantren were willing to take them," Taufik said.<\/p>\n
Rabithal Ulum has taken some 800 school-aged children to
\npesantren in Aceh Besar and Banda Aceh. Currently, there are
\nabout 450 pesantren across Aceh will to take in the displaced
\nchildren.<\/p>\n
Taufik said the children were taken to the pesantren in hopes
\nthat they would not lose direction because of the disaster and
\nliving in the shelters would not be good for their psychological
\ndevelopment.<\/p>\n
"The culture of living in a dayah is also a typical manner in
\nwhich many Acehnese live, so it's not a strange environment for
\nthem. We also think that continuous spiritual teaching will be
\ngood for them, making them strong in facing tests from God. We
\ndon't want them to feel desperate about life," Taufik said.<\/p>\n
Tengku Damanhuri, one Dayah Mahyal Ulim manager, said the
\npesantren had started taking the children since Jan. 10 and was
\nnot charging them any money.<\/p>\n
"They are here to memorize the Koran and other religious
\nteachings. There are some of them who are not ready to face what
\nhappened to them, but there are a tengku assigned to listen to
\ntheir complaints. But most of the children, by using religious
\napproaches, are calmer now," Damanhuri explained.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/acehnese-youngsters-take-shelter-in-pesantren-1447893297",
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