Community Recovery Following Earthquake in West Manggarai
The Community Service (KKN) team from Ahmad Dahlan University (UAD) is involved in the post-earthquake recovery efforts in the West Manggarai region, East Nusa Tenggara. In addition to assisting affected communities, the KKN team is also providing assistance to village officials in the process of data collection and aid distribution.
UAD KKN Chairperson, Muhammad Farel Naufoge, stated, “Our first step was to assist village officials in assessing and recapitulating data on earthquake victims post-disaster. We also recorded data on affected places of worship and public facilities,” said Farel.
The KKN team is also helping village officials distribute aid sourced from parties outside the KKN, UAD, or Muhammadiyah networks. This aid includes contributions from the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) and several other external parties. Currently, the team is also conducting fundraising in collaboration with Lazismu UAD and the Parmasi Party.
In carrying out disaster response duties, the UAD KKN team is coordinating with the Muhammadiyah Disaster Management Center (MDMC) West Manggarai. Every day, the team sends a situation report (sitrep) containing developments on the conditions at the location, the current situation of the community, and updates on disaster management activities.
Based on the results of the data recapitulation conducted by the team, approximately 40 per cent of buildings in the area were affected by the earthquake. However, the level of damage is dominated by the light category because the location is quite far from the epicentre. Meanwhile, about 5-10 per cent of buildings are estimated to have sustained heavy damage.
Damage was also found in several public facilities. One of them is a community health centre (puskesmas) which, according to the team’s observations, has sustained fairly heavy damage. However, the health centre authorities stated that the damage level is still in the moderate category as they are awaiting the results of studies from relevant ministries and agencies.
Farel added, “Regarding the condition of the residents, most are still traumatised. Some are experiencing severe trauma, but we have not yet conducted further assessments because there are no psychologists or assistants with specific expertise here,” he concluded.
To date, there are no adequate evacuation tents or coordination posts available at the location, other than those near the village head’s residence. Nevertheless, the community’s spirit of mutual cooperation (gotong royong) remains strong. One tent can be used by several heads of households, while residents with limitations, including elderly people living alone, are assisted by other residents to evacuate and meet their daily needs.
“In this area, it is not just one house per tent. One tent can be used by several families. There are also elderly people living alone who are assisted by other residents to evacuate and live with them,” said Farel.
Given these conditions, the KKN team’s priority programme is currently directed towards disaster response assistance alongside village officials and psychosocial activities. This assistance is carried out to help the community face post-disaster trauma. However, deeper psychological intervention cannot yet be performed as the team still requires assistance from professionals, particularly psychologists.
For the time being, psychosocial activities are conducted through simple activities such as art therapy, sports, and arts activities. The team hopes that volunteers with experience in disaster management or psychosocial intervention can provide guidance and assistance to them.
“We are in great need of guidance and direction from experienced volunteers. Although some members of this KKN team have a background in psychology, most are not from psychology study programmes. Therefore, we are truly learning from scratch while practising it directly,” Farel expressed.
Amidst these limitations, Farel believes many lessons have been gained while assisting the disaster-affected community. One of them is the importance of cooperation, tolerance, and the spirit of kinship. The KKN team is placed in an environment where the majority of the community is Catholic. This situation has been a valuable experience for the students to witness firsthand the practice of tolerance and community life where people help each other regardless of religious differences.
“The lesson we have gained here is religious tolerance and pluralism. Our KKN is located in a place where the majority are Catholic. Additionally, living together, kinship, and mutual assistance have also become very valuable lessons for us,” he said.
Farel urged the wider public to continue following the post-disaster developments and not to stop providing attention to the victims. According to him, public support can be provided through both moral and material aid, including participating in fundraising efforts conducted by trusted institutions and parties.
“Their grief is our grief. We hope the public continues to follow the latest news and, if there is fundraising, can set aside some of their resources for those in need,” he concluded.
He also reminded that attention to the affected community should not cease when news coverage of the disaster begins to fade. Recovery requires time and continuous assistance so that the community can return to living a decent life. “Let us not allow our attention to dim. Let us help until they have truly recovered,” Follas emphasized.