TANGERANG SELATAN — As many as 30 orphans assisted by the Tangsel Young Friends Community (SEMUT KECIL) visited the Disaster Management Center (DMC) headquarters of Dompet Dhuafa to learn about disaster mitigation on Saturday (01/10/2022). The learning materials were attractively packaged into various familiar games. This is so that the presentation of the material is not dull and well received by children.
Among the games were snakes and ladders, solving puzzles, and vertical rescue with disaster mitigation materials. In addition, there are also volunteer friends from Dua Barber who provide free barber services for orphans. Last, it was completed by giving donations to the orphans.
Haryo Mojopahit, Chief Executive of DMC Dompet Dhuafa, said that this event aims to introduce the world of volunteering, which can be one of the choices for the future profession. In addition, it is also a means of education in disaster management to minimize victims affected by disasters.
“The Sahabat Muda Tangsel Community offers a fresh concept for the world of volunteering and disaster management. We accept, and we are open to collaboration with various blessings like this,” He explained.
Responding to this collaboration, Dewi Anggraeni, the coach of SEMUT KECIL, also welcomed and gave a good appreciation. She was pleased to have brought the children to DMC Headquarters to introduce the world of volunteering so that children are ingrained in a social spirit. That way, the compensation this time has a different feel.
“The collaboration between SEMUT KECIL, DMC Dompet Dhuafa, and Dua Barber went smoothly. Alhamdulillah, this donation is different. We brought children here to introduce the world of volunteers so that children grow their strong social spirit,” she explained.
Indonesia alone has an estimated 16,000 orphans, 18,000 children have lost their primary guardians/caregivers, and 24,000 children have lost their primary guardians/caregivers and second guardians/caregivers. This number reaches 36 percent of the number of children in Indonesia.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that 1 in 4 children in the world (535 million children) live in countries affected by conflicts or disasters, often without access to proper medical care, education, nutrition, and protection.
As many as 1.5 million children have become orphans due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) encourages the importance of supporting data-driven solid care and livelihoods for orphaned children. In addition, children who have experienced and been exposed to natural disasters in the past month are between 9-18 percent more likely to be exposed to diseases depending on the examination results (for example, diarrhea, fever, respiratory infections).
As many as 50 percent of children reported having symptoms of post-traumatic stress after exposure to a natural disaster, such as repetitive thoughts about disasters, excessive alertness, and difficulty sleeping or concentrating. In addition, children living in poverty, minority children, and children living in temporary or unstable housing are particularly vulnerable because such a social context increases their likelihood of being severely affected by disasters.
Thus, DMC Dompet Dhuafa is here to provide benefits to all children in Indonesia. Through engaging education, DMC Dompet Dhuafa hopes this can provide benefits for all children to avoid the dangers of natural disasters. Furthermore, they become the next generation in carrying out humanitarian responses by becoming strong volunteers. (Dompet Dhuafa/DMC/Fajar)