Hope for an Earthquake Survivor
Muddy, winding and fractured roads are just part of the scene one would find along the road from Bengkulu city to Mukomuko district. The massive quake that rattled the Sumatra Island on September 13 changed the west coast of Sumatra Island. Now all there is to see are collapsed houses and mosques, damaged hospitals, destroyed schools, tents in front of houses that survived the quake, as well as children and families searching among the debris for anything they can find.
In front of a concrete office building that survived the quake in Lubuk Samai village, Mukomuko, there is a small tent, made of old tarps supported by wooden poles and palm leaves covering the top. Three women chat in front of the tent.
"We just woke up that Thursday morning. The evening before we already felt a quake, but the one in the morning was worse. I could hear the walls rattling. I grabbed my little one who was still asleep and ran outside. It was a terrifying experience to hear the wall cracking and feel the floor shaking," recalls Ibu, an earthquake survivor.
Even though her house did not collapse, ever since that morning, she and her husband set up a small hut as a place for their family to stay from old tarps that they once used to dry wheat.
Ibu, a mother of three children shares this tent with 20 other families. They have been living in this condition for nearly a week now.
"My children are afraid to go back into the house even if it is just to have a shower. The walls are full of cracks now," Ibu continues.
Near the tent, a group of boys were playing "bowling", using mineral water plastic bottles as the pin and a small stone as the ball. "That's my eldest son playing over there." Ibu pointed to the boys. Eko, her 10 year old son has spent the last few days just playing in the yard.
"For now, I hope we have a better temporary space to stay in until it is considered safe again. I'm really worried that my children will get sick. It is very cold at night and the rainy season is also starting soon. Our food supply should still be enough for a few days. I just hope that we can repair our house soon and stay in it again."
Ibu's hopes and concerns represent the hopes of thousands of other mothers who were impacted by the major quake that hit the Bengkulu province and are living under temporary conditions.
Save the Children is focusing on meeting immediate needs of those affected by the earthquake especially of those displaced by distributing tarpaulins and plastic mats to 2,000 families in Mukomuko district to help provide temporary shelter for children and their families. Save the Children staffs continue to look into the situation and stand ready to scale up the responds if the situation worsens.
You can help Save the Children respond to emergencies that put at great risk the survival, protection, and well-being of significant numbers of children. By contributing to the Children’s Emergency Fund, you enable us to respond immediately to children and families who urgently need our help when disasters strike.
Read more on Save the Children's response
