Your turn: Donations for Indonesian earthquake victims met with laughter, joy

Published Friday, June 1, 2007. May 27 marked the first anniversary of the earthquake that hit Yogyakarta and Central Java Provinces in Indonesia. The 5.9-magnitude earthquake in 2006 claimed more than 6,000 lives, left thousands of others without a roof over their heads and destroyed infrastructures and social facilities. Last year, the Athens Chapter of PERMIAS (Indonesian Student Association), with the support of many Ohio University students, faculty and staff, worked to collect donations for the victims. We distributed donation boxes across campus and to several churches and the Islamic Center in Athens. PERMIAS and student volunteers also conducted a fundraising event by having a one-day sale of Indonesian ethnic souvenirs and by selling food on Court Street during the first week of June 2006.

The money received by PERMIAS from the above activities was $3,400. In addition, some people also donated money to help the earthquake victims through “People to People Aid in Support of Nurani Dunia” by money transfer or check. As many local and international institutions helped the victims by providing food, health services and building materials, PERMIAS decided to distribute the $3,400 to educational institutions, especially school facilities that were destroyed by the earthquake. On Tuesday morning, Feb. 27, in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, a group of volunteers led by Elis Anis (an OU alumnus) delivered the aid from the people of Athens to several schools. The aid was delivered in the form of children’s playing equipment and toys, as well as educational/instructional media to kindergartens in Yogyakarta and Klaten, Central Java.

Ten kindergartens have received the aid, and among them were TK Pertiwi Jabung, TK Gesikan, TK Pesu, TK Canan TK ABA Kalitengah, TK ABA Sengon I, TK ABA, TK Franciscus and TK Sengon I. Of these schools, TK Pertiwi Jabung was the most damaged as the school building was completely torn down because of the earthquake. To accommodate the students’ need to learn and play, a tent has recently been set up near the school area where students are eager to study despite the fact that they have to sit on the ground. When our volunteers visited the school and delivered the children’s toys and educational/instructional media, the teachers and students were excited to receive them. Some teachers expressed their happiness by crying and expressed their gratitude to the people of Athens who helped them with educational facilities. Students were cheering when Troy Johnson, an OU graduate student, who was conducting research in Indonesia, delivered the aid to their schools.

The money that you donated last year helped bring laughter and joy to the kindergarten students and teachers who have lost their learning and playing facilities because of the earthquake. On behalf of the earthquake victims, PERMIAS would like to express our deepest gratitude to the people of Athens and Ohio University students, faculty and staff for their donations. We would also like to thank the volunteers who helped us with the activities to raise the money for the earthquake victims. For more information about the aid distribution, please contact Muhammad Chozin at mc240405@ohiou.edu for a visual report on the aid distribution. By Rudy Sukandar is a graduate student studying communication

Source: http://thepost.baker.ohiou.edu/Articles/Opinion/2007/06/01/20375/