Rising in the Holy Month, Dompet Dhuafa Cleans and Repairs Public Facilities in Aceh
BIREUEN – “When can we go back to school?” This question was difficult to answer for Nora Rusaifa, a teacher at PAUD Tazkiyatun Nufus kindergarten, in Gampong Kubu, Peusangan Siblah Krueng, Bireuen district, Aceh, on Wednesday afternoon (25 February 2026).
Remaining mud made this question hard to address. Silt still filled the floors of PAUD Tazkiyatun Nufus. The walls were also still covered with mud residue from flooding and landslides that occurred two months earlier.
Three buildings stood in a row: a classroom, a play area, and a village maternity clinic (Polindes). All three were filled with mud. In the play area, which should have been filled with stacks of balls in a ball pit, the balls were trapped beneath mud that was almost dry.
Since the flooding and landslides struck Gampong Kubu, learning at PAUD Tazkiyatun Nufus and the Polindes had stopped, and residents did not know when activities could resume there.
“School activities have stopped because of this condition. The mud was previously at a certain height (on the wall), so it might have been at that level,” explained Nora.
“It happened that I brought the key, so I went inside. We saved the wireless router by placing it on something, and we saved the cabinet. Items like fans and books we didn’t have time to evacuate, because we were worried the water would rise too quickly,” Nora added.
Like a fresh breeze, Allah promises in the Qur’an that every difficulty is accompanied by ease. That promise felt real when help came at the right time, often through unexpected acts of kindness.
That assistance came through collaboration between Dompet Dhuafa and several charity partners, including Baitul Mal Masjid Izzatul Islam, Taman Serua RW 08, DKM Masjid Al Hidayah, Yayasan Nur Ilaahi Taman Serua, and Masjid An Nur. This synergy became the means through which relief was brought to disaster survivors facing difficult circumstances.
Dompet Dhuafa, together with mosque partners, collaborated in distributing clean water and cleaning public facilities such as the Polindes, PAUD, and children’s play area. Thanks to support from these charity partners, mud gradually washed away with flowing water, and the walls began to show their original colours, which had been obscured by brown mud.
One Dompet Dhuafa volunteer, Dicky, explained conditions in Gampong Kubu at the start of the disaster. The area had been isolated due to the severing of main bridges from both Pasaman and South Pasaman directions, making access to the location impossible.
The regional government then worked to reopen the village’s main route. Meanwhile, volunteer teams and relevant parties crossed to the location using rubber boats and installed slings to facilitate distribution of supplies to affected areas.
“We have conducted cleaning operations several times. The main facilities we cleaned were the Polindes, PAUD Tazkiyatun Nufus, and the play area. The mud inside the buildings was as high as above an adult’s knee, and its hardened condition required our colleagues to expend extraordinary effort to clean it. Alhamdulillah, thanks to solid cooperation, several locations we cleaned are now finished and can be used by many people,” said Dicky.
Dompet Dhuafa expressed appreciation to all partners who collaborated in the recovery of Sumatra. The support, care, and cooperation that developed not only helped restore physical conditions after the disaster but also brought relief and hope to affected communities.