Hopes Flare Up from Reok Shelter during Indonesia’s Independence Day
The 81st anniversary of Indonesia’s Independence should be a special day for Yuyun Sari, a teacher from Mata Air subdistrict, Reok district, Manggarai regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province. Previously, she had prepared several shows with her students to celebrate the day, but this plan changed after the earthquake hit her residence at dawn on Saturday (08/15).
“To be honest, as a teacher, I miss my students. We had prepared shows, such as traditional dances, etc. I had taught my students,” said Yuyun on Monday (8/17) at an evacuation site located in Reok district.
When the earthquake hit, Yuyun was in her room, while her husband had just finished Muslim morning prayer. In a blink of an eye, the wardrobe in their house collapsed and blocked the door. Yuyun was nearly crushed, but managed to escape through a collapsed section of the house’s wall.
“The wardrobe almost crushed me, but I managed to escape not through the door because it was blocked, but through a collapsed section of the wall,” she explained.
There was no time to think; Yuyun and her family left the house and everything behind. They worried that a tsunami might come, so they were heading to a safer zone. Their house collapsed, crushed by a big tree. It left trauma in Yuyun, so she is afraid to go back to her house.
“We came here straightaway and left everything behind. We just ran. We did not remember to bring anything, even money. We just ran,” she admitted. “Where will we go home? Our house collapsed.”
To address the situation, President Prabowo’s assistance has become a strength for Yuyun and other residents. The refugees have begun to receive rice, sardines, and other necessities. For Yuyun, the aid has not only covered essential needs but also served as a reminder that they were not alone in difficult times.
“Alhamdulillah, this has been a huge help. In this emergency, the aid has been very helpful,” she said. “Thank you, Mr. President Prabowo Subianto. We are in trauma to go back home.”
A similar story was shared by Destria, a resident of Reok who was also forced to leave her home. She still vividly remembers the powerful tremors that struck at dawn while some residents were still asleep. After leaving her house, the sound of alarms around her neighborhood, which is located along a riverbank, prompted residents to immediately run to safety.
“It is difficult to describe, but the shaking was truly extraordinary,” Destria said.
Amid the situation, she said she felt relieved when assistance began to arrive.
“Alhamdulillah, we are grateful. Although people sometimes say that NTT is often overlooked, especially Manggarai and particularly Reok district, Alhamdulillah, this year, during this disaster, we received assistance directly from the President. Thank you very much.”
Meanwhile, Hendrik, a mechanic from Kupang who was in Reok when the disaster occurred, ran toward the hills after residents warned of a possible tsunami. Only after conditions became safe did he make his way to the evacuation site. According to him, the assistance provided had helped ease the burden on residents during their time at the site.
“The assistance has been very helpful,” Hendrik said. He expressed hope that attention to the people of NTT would continue. “Hopefully, going forward, the President will continue to pay greater attention to the people of NTT so that the region can become more advanced and prosperous.”
For the evacuees in Reok, this year’s Independence Day commemoration unfolded far from what they had imagined. There were no preparations for performances for Yuyun and her students, while many residents were still thinking about their homes, their families, and how to resume their daily lives. Yet amid the evacuation tents, hopes for Indonesia continued to be voiced.
“We hope that Indonesia will always be strong, prosperous, and peaceful. And for NTT, we hope that we will remain safe and that assistance will continue to come to us,” Yuyun said.
Destria hopes that recovery will begin soon so that residents can return to their daily activities and revive their livelihoods. Hendrik, too, expressed his hope that Indonesia would continue to advance and develop.
In Reok, as Indonesia commemorates the 81st anniversary of its independence, independence takes on a simple yet profound meaning: the sense of security to return home, the opportunity to rebuild their lives, and the belief that even amid disaster, they do not have to face it alone. (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (RD/MMB)
