KM ITB Cabinet's Community Development: For Our Brothers, the Victims of Merapi Explosion

By UKM Student English Forum

Editor UKM Student English Forum

Merapi explosion disaster this year have attracted attentions from Indonesian society. Many followed to volunteer or give donation for the disaster's victims , including ITB students. "After I heard Merapi exploded, we socialized the campus mass through a centralized forum themed KM ITB Cabinet's Community Development (PM Kabinet KM ITB). Aside for socialization, we also asked the campus mass to help donating from friends at students councils," said Gilang Permata Khusuma, a member of PM Kabinet KM ITB Division.

Merapi exploded since September 2010. After the first explosion at October 26 2010 which yielded in 45 casualties, this mountain exploded again at October 5 2010 dawn which is the biggest explosion during the last 140 years.

Sapto Andika Candra, the Person In Charge of Merapi PM Kabinet KM ITB, stated that PM Kabinet KM ITB has done several things to collect donation for explosion victims which covers Klaten, Magelang, Sleman, and Boyolali. "We established Merapi disaster responsive posts and collaboratd with all students councils in ITB to facilitate the campus mass to donate. We also cooperated with ITB United to gather donation through selling t-shirts. Until now there have been 100 shirts sold for this charity," said this student of Geophysical Engineering batch 2008.

Sapto also added that at October 29-31 2010 seven students representatives of Ganesha Rescue, a disaster response forum which is a branch of PM Kabinet KM ITB, and Geophysical Engineering Students Council (HIMA TG "TERRA") of ITB departed to disaster location to survey the condition there what help is needed by the victims. "After consulting with several lecturers at Community Research and Development Institution (LPPM) of ITB, another team has departed that involved four students and several lecturers to the location and distribute helps in form of applicable technology made by ITB lecturers," explained Sapto. "They're also asked to find links to channel the donation in form of funds and other stuffs needed so that it reaches the victims in time.

The team who departed on Wednesday (03/10/2010) will come back to Bandung on Sunday (07/10/2010). The update in USDI ITB News Office on Saturday (06/10/2010) states that a volunteers team resulted from campus mass open recruitment will depart also. Volunteers will stay there until Sunday (07/10/2010). Chances are there will be another registration for volunteers team to depart at the end of next week but it's still pending for certainty at the location. This is unavailable right now for the condition there is still fluctuative.

In the future, PM Kabinet KM ITB will distribute helps to Merapi explosion victims through links got by the departed teams. Rendi Prayoga Akbar, the leader of Ganesha Rescue project, added that PM Kabinet KM ITB plans to send trauma healing teams after the disaster is over. Metallurgy Engineering students batch 2009, he hopes ITB communities to be more aware of this disaster and participate in distributing the donation for our victimised brothers.