Many students lose uniforms, books in Sawah Besar fire<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Many children whose homes were destroyed in the
\nSawah Besar fire in Central Jakarta cut school as their books,
\nuniforms and money had gone up in smoke.<\/p>\n
At least 200 students, 120 of whom were primary school
\nstudents, were among thousands made homeless in Kartini
\nsubdistrict.<\/p>\n
Ridwan Gozali, a subdistrict public order official, said
\nTuesday several of the hundreds of elementary, junior and senior
\nhigh students did go to school but without uniforms or books.<\/p>\n
\"We have distributed all the donations we got but we still
\nneed a lot more,\" Ridwan said, adding he did not know how many
\nstudents there were.<\/p>\n
The fire destroyed around 126 houses on Jl. Lautze and Jl.
\nLaksana on Thursday and around 650 families are living with
\nrelatives, or taking refuge elsewhere.<\/p>\n
Rusmini, a mother of three teenagers, said Saturday her
\nchildren had to stay at a relative's house. They could not go to
\nschool as they had neither money, books nor decent clothes.<\/p>\n
\"My eldest child who is in senior high school will have her
\nfinal examination in a couple of weeks. I just hope God will
\nshow us the way to pass through all this madness,\" Rusmini told
\nThe Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Rusmini, who sold gado-gado (vegetables in peanut sauce) said
\nshe could not save anything in the fire, which began in a house
\njust two houses away.<\/p>\n
\"I didn't even remember to collect the Rp 10,000 (US$4.13)
\nfrom the gado-gado sales in my drawer on the terrace,\" said
\nRusmini who was alone in the house when the tragedy took place.<\/p>\n
Several of her neighbors were staying with relatives, at
\nmosques or Buddhist temples.<\/p>\n
At least 50 people, mostly mothers and children, were housed
\nin 36-square-meter tent set up in a temple parking lot.<\/p>\n
Cholid, who was staying in the tent with his wife and two
\nchildren, said he was worried about their health.<\/p>\n
\"My children can hardly sleep at night because of the cold
\nweather and mosquitoes. This shelter is too small for all of us,\"
\nCholid said.<\/p>\n
The fire victims in the tent had to move to the temple's small
\nterrace on Friday night because heavy rainfall had flooded the
\nshelter.<\/p>\n
Like fire victims elsewhere, several tried to survive among
\nthe ruins of their homes, in fear of scrap iron scavengers taking
\ntheir valuables.<\/p>\n
The fire victims were allowed to rebuild their homes, said
\nCentral Jakarta Mayor Abdul Kahfi.<\/p>\n
This was good news, but Rusmini asked, \"From where do we get
\nthe money?\"<\/p>\n
Each of the 650 families had been supplied with a plastic mat,
\na sarong, a pillow and blanket from the city's social affairs
\nagency, said Sanusi, who was coordinating the contributions.<\/p>\n
Sanusi said President Soeharto's second son Bambang
\nTrihatmodjo had also visited the fire site and donated Rp 10
\nmillion through the Golongan Karya branch in the area.<\/p>\n
He said the money was mainly for food and clothing, and that
\nchildren were a priority. (04)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/many-students-lose-uniforms-books-in-sawah-besar-fire-1447893297",
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