The people of West Sumatra are set to donate rendang (slow-cooked meat in coconut milk and spices) to survivors of the Sunda Strait tsunami in Lampung and Banten provinces.

West Sumatra Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) head of operations E. Rahman told Antara that the donations would be sent by land on Saturday.

“We are still collecting and packing. Distribution is expected to start by tomorrow [Friday] the latest,” Rahman said in the provincial capital Padang on Thursday.

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Rahman said residents plan to collect up to 1.2 tons of rendang for the Sunda Strait tsunami victims, and at the time of writing, they have donated up to 400 kilograms along with the Regional Device Organization (OPD).

“We may reach the target this evening, so we can start dividing [the rendang] in half-kg packages,” said Rahman, adding that the BPBD had suggested small packages so that they could be easily distributed.

Jasman, head of public relations for the West Sumatra provincial secretary, said the collection of rendang as a form of aid has become a social movement. Previously, residents and officials of West Sumatra sent rendang donations to disaster victims in Aceh, West Nusa Tenggara and Central Sulawesi’s Palu and Donggala. (mut)