Dance the trauma away: Several children, victims of the Situ Gintung dam burst, perform a traditional dance during an art and charity night for Situ Gintung victims in Jakarta on Saturday. JP/Desy Nurhayati
Some 25 children, victims of the Situ Gintung dam burst tragedy in March, staged performances during an art and charity event held in the city Saturday night.
This event, organized by an alliance of NGOs and groups of university graduates, was held to help traumatized children heal, build their confidence and become self-reliant.
The event’s committee head Kumara Sadana Putra said the organizations that formed the alliance agreed to focus on the psychosocial elements of the victims’ trauma, an aspect that is usually neglected after a tragedy.
“I remember in the first days after the disaster, many people came to give money and things to the victims and then left … thinking the victims’ problems would be over after that,” Kumara said during the event.
“Most people think about giving financial and material assistance, while victims — especially children — also need psychological treatment.”
“If we only give them things and money, they will not learn about self-reliance. And every day they will keep asking ‘What will we receive today?’”
The event featured a number of singing and traditional dances performed by the children, in collaboration with their peers from art groups Lembaga Etnik Khatulistiwa Indonesia (Lekhi) and Sampan Bujana Sentra.
Some of the victims’ works of art, was also exhibited and put on auction, including pictures and paintings in which victims portrayed their experience of the disaster. The profits will be donated to other social programs for children.
Tinem, mother of 10-year-old Pipit, watched her daughter dance on stage with several other survivors.
“I think this is a good event to rebuild our children’s confidence after the traumatic experience.
Besides, this is a better and more meaningful way of asking for charity rather than just begging for donations on the street,” she said.
Tinem currently lives in a shelter in Kertamukti in Situ Gintung with her family after the dam burst wiped her house away.
“As a parent, I hope taking part in this event will help my daughter recover and make her more confident.”
Another parent, Saiful Kamal, said the event was a good way to develop children’s creativity and collect more donations for the victims.
“Children can get over feeling depressed by developing their talents participating in art performances. This event is also a good initiative to encourage more donors,” said the father of six-year-old Hisyam, who also lives in the Kertamukti shelter.
Eighth-grader Lastri, one of the survivors, was glad she could take part in the dancing performance.
“I am still sad to have lost all my belongings during the disaster. We didn’t have much time to save
our personal effects because we were struggling to save ourselves,” she said.
“But I am happy to be part of this event although this will not help me forget the disaster.”
The event, Kumara said, was part of a three-month healing program involving some 200 children, an attempt to give children more opportunities to learn and play after the disaster. The program will run from April to June.
Under the program, the alliance has set up special classes held after school hours, during which the children are taught about creativity, self-reliance, ethics, psychology, religion and character building. The children are divided in several classes based on age.
