Capturing The Smiles Of Flood Victims In Refugees

Refugee conditions in Pengadegan, South Jakarta (Mery Handayani / VOI)

JAKARTA - Three days have passed since the floods hit Jakarta and its surroundings, due to the extreme rainfall that occurred on New Year's Eve 2020. However, until now the water has not receded. Many residential settlements are still flooded. One of them is in the Pengadegan Timur area, Kalibata, South Jakarta.

The expanse of settlements decorated with brown water, is clearly visible when you set foot in this village. Dozens of residents have had to endure the evacuation located in Rusunawa Pengadegan, because the water level in this area is still as high as adults.

Yesterday we saw firsthand the situation of the refugees there. When you walk, the smell of the baby's distinctive fragrance bursts into this room. The floor mattresses are lined up neatly and full of refugees is a sight that can be seen immediately. There is no dividing line, they blend into one.

The streak of sadness was clearly visible in the eyes of the refugees. However, the laughter of the children here is the antidote. Their cheerfulness seemed to remove some of the burdens they were facing. Children in refugee camps do not understand what is going on, all they know is playing.

Refugees at the Pengadegan Command Post in South Jakarta (Mery Handayani / VOI)

In the evacuation, we met Ayu (30), she was forced to take her 2 month old baby to the evacuation camp. The baby looks peaceful in his mother's arms, even though the atmosphere of the refuge is so noisy, the sound there does not disturb his sleep.

Ayu has no previous flood experiences, this is the first time she has experienced a flood for more than one year living in Jalan Pengadegan Timur, RT 7 / RW 1, Pengadegan, Pancoran District, South Jakarta.

Before the water entered the yard of the house on January 1, at 3:00 p.m. WIB, Ayu and her two children had been evacuated to the evacuation site. Two hours later, the water began to appear and in a short time the water filled the settlements there.

"From noon, the Head of the Village has given a warning to the residents, around 12.00 WIB my neighbors have started packing. This is my first experience, fortunately my husband was quick to pack things, I was only thinking about the children at that time, ”he told VOI, at the Refuge of Rusunawa, Pengadegan Timur, Jakarta, January 3.

While talking with Ayu, a pair of small eyes watched us. He seemed interested in paying attention to who Ayu was talking to. Slowly he approached, a sweet smile etched on his small lips. Dinda the name of the little boy.

"Ma ... balloons," he said as he ran around the shelter with his peers who were there.

"Yes, be careful. Slow down, "Ayu replied.

This refuge does not have facilities for children of Dinda's age. There are only balloons with a rope as a handle available. It is not unusual for the children here to be busy with their devices in hand. It is as if the gadgets are helping their parents to keep the mood of the children in the refugee camps good.

"Yesterday, a mobile library came for a while. But there's no help in the form of trauma healing for children. But they are still happy, they don't understand their name. Running around with other refugees is also just fun, "he said.

The aid that came was abundant, the refugees did not have to think about starvation. However, none of the items that came were intended for babies or children. Like, diapers, milk, or toys.

If Ayu is facing flooding for the first time, Ika (37) admits that she has experienced floods in Jakarta. His eyes filled with tears as he explained how his efforts to save belongings failed, the water that entered his residence actually reached the second floor of his house.

“Television, refrigerator, I don't really care. Water people are very fast than my son died. It was raining really hard, I felt like I was going to flood. But people say it won't be high, because now there will be a floodgate that can suck up two water from Mr. Ahok. Maybe it won't be high, but it turns out to be even worse, "he said.

According to Ika, during the leadership of Basuki Tjahaja Purnama or Ahok in Jakarta, his village was never hit by floods. This is because two water pumps are used to prevent water from entering residential areas.

Floods in Pengadegan, South Jakarta (Mery Handayani / VOI)

"There have been no floods for three years, this has just been flooded again. In the past, it wasn't this high, because there was a water machine that made it suck. It's really high now. O Allah, there are floods everywhere, "he said.

Ika could not hold back her tears, telling her about her child's wish to go to school on Monday. "How come this goes to school, there are no books," said Ika imitating.

"I said, let's take a day off, Sis. How do you want to go to school, no uniform, no books. I keep asking for books, so I want to say I need books and school uniforms. The teacher has already collected data, who will be flooded, ”he said.

As is known, the floods that hit Jakarta and its surroundings have claimed 46 lives. Based on the latest BNPB data, the number of refugees who had fallen, has now gone back up to 173,064 people.

One of the causes of the flooding this time is the inability of the rivers to function properly. The river has become narrower due to piles of rubbish and other things, causing rainwater that should flow smoothly overflow, spill over and inundate residents' settlements.