Charity Act to South Garut

KTI Charity Act for the Earthquake Victims in Cisompet, South Garut

6 September 2009

Praise the Lord who has been knocking on the earts of benefactors and provide an opportunity for the volunteers of the 2nd KTI team to carry out the charity act and give aid support and donation to the earthquake victims at Cisompet district, South Garut, West Java on 6 September 2009. 

Initially, the plan was to provide assistance to Cikangkareng village at Cibinong district, South Cianjur, as the 1st KTI team has done before. But considering that there was enough support and media exposure to the village, the 2nd KTI team diverts the objective plan to Cigalontang village, near Singaparna, Tasikmalaya, together with Indonesian Diesel Taft (TDI) team. Field report said that this location has also got enough aid support, so the team then look for other areas which required more help.

The impact of 7.3 Richter earthquake that centered off the coast of Tasikmalaya was so prevalent in some districts in Cianjur, Bandung, Garut, Tasikmalaya, even to Cilacap, Central Java. By coordination with the personnel of the local government in Garut, the team then focused on Cisompet district, South Garut, about 15 km from Pameungpeuk.

The first vehicle of KTI team (Kusuma & Rika) left on Saturday night and went to Garut with women's clothing, men pants, shirts, gloves, prayer rugs, blankets, milk & baby food, mosquito repellents, toothbrushes and loiletries. The second vehicle (Pak Tono & Nanang) was loaded with additional instant noodles, biscuits and eggs in Garut. For efficiency considerations, the heavier logistics like rice, drinking water and instant noodles were purchased and loaded into a pick up truck.

Loading the aid support and donation

The team started to move at about 8.30 a.m. to Cisompet district, about 70 km from Garut, accompanied by Mr. Sardiman Tanjung, head of Garut Civil Service, his wife who acted as a guide and the Head of Cisompet district as liaison. After passing Cikajang tea plantations and through zigzag roads, ag 11.15 a.m. the team reached Cisompet district office where the Disaster Command Center had been established. This district had a lack of aid support, due to the other aid which was directed to South Garut, were focused mainly on Pameungpeuk and Cikelet area, the more exposed areas by media. This may occur because the disaster site in Cisompet in not exactly near the highway that connects Garut and Pameungpeuk. Cisompet where located 3 km away from the highway, to the west of Sukanagara and Panyindaran villages where it is quite difficult to reach by common transportation. The team then made coordianation with the Head of Cisompet district, Haerudin S.Sos Msi for donation recording and inventory.

The 2nd KTI Team arrived in Cisompet District Office

Unloading goods at Disaster Command Center

Goods recorded by Cisompet district officials

Goods recorded by Cisompet district officials

By coordination with the district head, the aid supports were unloaded at Cisompet Disaster Command Center which then distributed to villages that need. The team was stunned because the goods they brought were not enough to be distributed to several villages, but by the input from the district head, that the conditions were very sensitive and frustrated to the villager since the disaster occurred on Wednesday, 3 September 2009, they were not yet received any aid support, equal distribution was consider as the best solution. However, KTI team asked permission to the Head of district to directly distribute the aid to the most affected villages where the access to the location was extremely difficult to reach. He agreed and was willing to take the team directly to the location in Cipaksa kampong, Panyindangan village, 10 km from district office, where 7 km road towards Pameungpeuk was a normal highway and the rest 3 km to the west was gravel road which requires light off road technique. We could see on our trip where Sukanagara Town Hall and several others building were affected by the earthquake.

Sukanagara town hall and some buildings after the earthquake

Access to Panyindangan village, Cisompet district

When we arrive at Cipaksa kampong, Panyindangan village, once again we were stunned to see the impact of the severe earthquake that struck the village. There were a lot of houses with cracked walls, split and even collapse. The new mosque which was completed at the beginning of Ramadhan, was split and was not allowed to be used for praying anymore. And the people whose homes were collapsed or badly cracked, they were accommodated in some tents with conditions that were way beyond ideal. Tents donated by the Ministry of Social were just arrived when we reached the location that day.

The new mosque after the earthquake

The villagers' houses

The 2nd KTI team delivered the donation of rice, instant noodles, milk & baby food, blankets and clothing through the Chairman of the local Citizen Forum (Rukun Warga). Donation of money with the amount of 1 million Rups was delivered by Mr. Tono, representing the benefactors, as donation for reconstruction of the damaged mosque. After that, the KTI 2nd team said goodby to the whole villagers and Cisompet district Officials, and promised to return back on the following week since the villagers still require more aid support and donation.

Shelters for the victims

Handed over the aid and donation to the villagers at Cipaksa kampong, Panyindangan village

KTI would like to thank all the benefactors who were willing to share with others who suffered by the earthquake in Cisompet, South Garut. Thanks also to Mr. Sardiman Tanjung and his wife for guiding us, and to the Head of Cisompet district, Mr. Haerudin and his officials.

The 2nd KTI Team: Kusuma, Rika, Nanang, Tono, with Mr. Sardiman Tanjung and the Head of Cisompet district, Mr. Haerun and his officials

- Yudhi -

Source: Charity Act Close Out report by Kusuma W.