Impact of the Earthquake in Bandung Regency
The earthquake that struck Bandung Regency on September 18, 2024, significantly impacted the community. The 4.9-magnitude quake damaged thousands of homes. Walls and ceilings collapsed, and windows shattered.
Moreover, many school buildings, health facilities, religious buildings, and police stations were affected. Daily activities such as working and school activities were disrupted. Schools had to suspend the activities for several days following the disaster. Some schools have yet to resume their normal operations, instead focusing on recovery activities and helping children adapt to the new situation.
Psychosocial Support for Children from GNI
Children’s mental health needs extra care, as they are especially vulnerable to trauma. For this reason, Yayasan Gugah Nurani Indonesia (GNI) conducted an emergency response activity by providing psychosocial support to children.
During this activity, GNI volunteers encouraged students to express how they felt after the earthquake by depicting their emotions. Some students were also asked to share their stories about the earthquake experience. The psychosocial session ended with a drawing activity. Psychosocial support is crucial for addressing and healing trauma in children.
Interacting with volunteers and their peers helps support the children’s recovery. It also provides a sense of safety and encourages resilience, allowing them to adapt and move on after the disaster.
Implementation of Psychosocial Support in Bandung Regency
The psychosocial support activities were held at five schools: SDN Citawa, SDN Kertasari 01, SDN Kertasari 02, SDN Kertasari 03, and SDN Lembangsari. A total of 756 students participated in these activities. The schools warmly welcomed GNI’s initiative, as this was the first time they had received external psychosocial support for the children.
In addition to psychosocial support, GNI also provided children with educational material support (EMS), offering school supplies to encourage them to stay motivated, even as they adapt to the current situation.
Across the five schools, GNI distributed 806 school supply packages to the students. These efforts brought smiles to the faces of students at SDN Citawa, SDN Kertasari 01, SDN Kertasari 02, SDN Kertasari 03, and SDN Lembangsari.
GNI hopes that this initiative will have a positive impact on the recovery of children in Bandung Regency, helping them rise and recover more quickly.
Written by: FD Team
