Joy in the Dimness of a 3x4 Metre Temporary Shelter Life Ahead of Eid

From within that cramped shelter, the family’s dynamics remain alive through small things, such as sharing laughter over funny stories from Jakarta or simply chopping vegetables on the rim of a cup because the chopping board was also swept away by the flood. Blangkejeren, Gayo Lues (ANTARA) - From within a narrow plot measuring 3x4 metres in Agusen Village, Gayo Lues Regency, Aceh, can be heard laughter and complaints intertwined as one. This temporary housing unit (huntara) now bears witness to how a large family attempts to weave back the remnants of happiness after a flash flood swept everything away at the end of November 2025. For Ibu Hanime (61), the plywood walls and zinc roof are her emergency palace. Inside it, she gathers with her husband, Rahman (62), and her children who have returned from afar, including Ani (30) who deliberately flew in from Jakarta, Dewi (24) from Medan, and Junaidi (32) in Blangkejeren, the capital of Gayo Lues Regency. The room feels cramped, not only by the remaining belongings, but by the presence of ten children and grandchildren trying to celebrate togetherness amid limited space and facilities. The dynamics inside the huntara ahead of the holiday are inseparable from water supply issues. An irony enveloping life in the huntara in Agusen; a village once known for never lacking water due to its location hugging the clear waters of the Leuser mountains, now plagued by crisis. The family’s warm conversations are often interrupted by grumbles about blocked or deliberately closed water pipes by other villagers upstream. “The water problem is the worst,” said Ani with a bitter tone amid her cooking activities. For her, kitchen matters are life matters, and without smoothly flowing water, everything becomes complicated. While chatting animatedly together, she recounted how she had to become a “lion” just to get water flowing to her small tank. “The pipe should be straight so all houses get it. But those upstream are impatient. Just earlier, I had to scold them before they turned it on again. Isn’t that awful? I’m known for being chatty here for the sake of water,” said Ani bluntly, met with laughter from the family. Ani is Ibu Hanime’s third child who has successfully migrated to Jakarta. Two years of married life and residing in Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD), South Tangerang City, Banten. This woman with a prominent nose has succeeded as an entrepreneur in skin health cream or skincare and also a beauty social media content creator. From that work, she can ease her parents’ burden in funding her younger siblings who are still studying. Then, Ibu Hanime could only smile wryly hearing her child complain, while her eyes focused on how Dewi and Ani were cooking. For her, the honest character of her child is a form of self-defence amid uncertainty. While sitting in a circle on the floor lined with a thin carpet, Hani recalled how heartbroken she was seeing their house levelled to the ground. “Gone! The land is lost too, swept away completely. No other choice but here,” revealed Hani with a distant gaze.