BIREUEN, ACEH —-— On the 50th day after the Sumatra floods, Dompet Dhuafa volunteers in Aceh worked late into the night to help clean up the only maternity clinic (Polindes) in Teupin Raya Village, Peusangan Siblah Krueng District, Bireuen Regency, on Tuesday (01/13/2026).
During their efforts, the volunteers seemed to forget their fatigue. They refused to give in to the mud. Their camaraderie brought laughter, and even their mud-covered clothes looked stylish. Although they occasionally sighed, they soon got back to work. They would occasionally lie down and show solidarity with each other.
“During this disaster, there are two pregnant women in their third trimester in my area whom I referred to the district, as everything here is still muddy and operations cannot resume,” said Midwife Erna, a Health Officer at the Teupin Raya Health Center.
“Electricity is still out at times. And we still need a lot of manpower and clean water to get things started again,” she explained to the Dompet Dhuafa team.
With the naked eye, Polindes Teupin Raya still looks brown. The flash flood in the area left mud covering and entering the rooms of Polindes. A number of obstetric medical equipment and furniture were destroyed and can no longer be used.
Personnel from Dompet Dhuafa, through coordination with the Disaster Management Center (DMC), Dompet Dhuafa Volunteers (DDV), and Super Volunteer Tiara Nabila, carried out a Clean-up Action starting that afternoon. The mud left behind by the flood, which had hardened, posed a challenge in the use of water as the main raw material for cleaning. The thickness of the mud also caused damage to the pump engine, so the Clean-up Action had to be postponed even though it was late at night and resumed the next day.
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“The existence of Polindes Teupin Raya is important because it is the only health facility for pregnant women and children, so we also hope that it can be cleaned up and resume operations soon. The challenges we face have not dampened our enthusiasm, and we will continue our Clean-up Action the next day,” said Najwa, one of the volunteers from Dompet Dhuafa.
“Some of us are also residents of Bireuen and are still on college break. So for almost two months since the disaster struck, we have been helping the affected areas in Bireuen,” said Akbar, one of the Dompet Dhuafa volunteers.
The next day, Wednesday (January 14, 2026), the Clean-up Action resumed. It felt like a new beginning, even though nearly two months had passed since the disaster struck. After sunset, the power went out again. Emergency lights and vehicle headlights provided some relief. By around 11 p.m., Polindes Teupin Raya began to take on a white hue. The mud crusts inside the room no longer held. Alhamdulillah, the Polindes was soon ready to be used again.
“I don’t know what I would have done without the volunteers from Dompet Dhuafa. Because I was only with my child and husband in Jakarta. Finally, the Polindes, which is also my home, is clean again,” said Midwife Erna, tearfully.
The benefits they see motivate the volunteers in the field to persevere. Surrounded by mud, their compassion remains strong. Dear friends, you too can play a role in strengthening humanitarian solidarity for the survivors of the flash floods in Sumatra. Your donations will help provide various necessities and support long-term recovery. Send your best aid through digital.dompetdhuafa.org/donasi/prayforsumatera. (Dompet Dhuafa)
Text and photos: Dhika
Editor: Dedi Fadlil