New Zealand
Ratna’s Story
Ratna patiently waited in the hot sun at the distribution area set up by Save the Children in an empty field. Her umbrella shielded Refal, her 4-month-old son, from the harsh tropical sun.
“When the earthquake happened I was washing vegetables in the river, which runs near my home. I was very worried and rushed back to the house because I knew that Refal and his sister, Yuliani, 4, were at the house alone. The earthquake was so strong that Yuliani had fallen over and was crying by the time I got to the house. Luckily Refal was in his hammock and safe. He had been sleeping when the earthquake happened and had hardly woken up — the earthquake had simply rocked the hammock,” explained Ratna.
“I was really scared that my house would have fallen down during the earthquake, but it was still standing although it has been damaged by some cracking and splitting of the wood. Everything inside had fallen down and was broken.”
“Yuli is still very afraid — she is scared of the dark now and she hates to be on her own. Whenever there is a sound from a car or a motorbike driving by the house, she gets upset — especially if they make the house shake if they pass close by. After the earthquake, I asked her if she was worried and she said she was. ’What will happen now?’ she asked me. ‘Why do we have to go home? Why can we not stay with all the other people?’ She does not like to be left on her own. She likes to be surrounded by people and hear their voices.”
Continued Ratna: “Of course I am worried about her. I hope that I can get her to mix with people and help her to recover. I hope this will help her forget this frightening experience. Even now — once this distribution is finished and everyone goes to their homes, she will cry because she hates it when everyone disappears.”
Yulia stood close to her mother during the interview, withdrawn and red-eyed from tears.
Yona’s Story
Yona, 11, was on a school outing on the way to the beach when the earthquake struck Sumatra on September 30. The 7.6-magnitude temblor was strong enough to be felt in the vehicle, forcing the road they were on to undulate. She and her seven classmates watched as buildings crumbled around them.
“Many children fell to the floor of the car. Everyone was frightened. Some were crying,” she said. “We all knew it was an earthquake.”
When Yona returned to her village, Bonai, located in Pariaman district, she found her family unhurt, though their home was damaged. They have been sleeping outside on the front porch ever since.
Yona’s mother, Niarti, said her children are not sleeping well at night, essentially out in the elements. They also are easily startled. “When there’s any movement, like when trucks go by, the children are shaken,” she said.
Village leaders estimate that about 80 percent of homes in Bonai have suffered damaged. Some are in rubble while others are structurally unsound. The community has drawn together to support each other, with several women in the village — including Niarti — helping to cook communal breakfasts and lunches. .
Save the Children distributed household and shelter items — including plastic sheeting, mosquito nets, hygiene and household supplies — to families in Bonai, helping them replace items lost in the disaster and to provide shelter from the elements while they go about rebuilding their lives.