SOUTH JAKARTA —–— Floods are a recurring disaster that must be watched out for. One of the most devastating floods occurred at the end of 2025, hitting Aceh, West Sumatra, and North Sumatra. These three regions have not yet fully recovered, but recent heavy rainfall has inundated several areas in Indonesia, including Jakarta.
Although the scale of the flooding in Jakarta is not as severe as that in Sumatra, education and prevention are necessary to minimize the risk as early as possible. To that end, Dompet Dhuafa, through its Disaster Management Center (DMC), provided education on flood mitigation and simulation for preschool and kindergarten students and all teachers at Sekolah Bangun Mandiri on Tuesday (1/13/2026) in South Jakarta.
In the initial stage, the Dompet Dhuafa DMC Team provided a brief explanation of the general meaning of disasters so that it would be easy for students to understand. This understanding included an introduction to floods, their causes and impacts, and how to minimize their occurrence.
“One of the causes of flooding is trash. So, children should not litter,” said Syaiban, a member of the DMC Disaster Mitigation and Training Division, as he began his presentation.
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Not stopping at education, the Dompet Dhuafa DMC Team also designed a flood simulation. At this stage, students and teachers were instructed to remain calm and coordinate well with each other.
“If during an earthquake we are required to leave the building and find a low point, then during a flood it is the opposite. Friends must find the highest point to take shelter,” said the DMC member.
Next, students were introduced to personal protective equipment and supplies needed when facing a flood, such as helmets, vests, life jackets, and rubber boats. The team also demonstrated how to assemble and use these tools.
“Children are the best imitators. The best way to teach children something is by example,” said the DMC volunteer.
In response, Rita Amaliani, Academic Director of Bangun Mandiri School, revealed that the school has conducted disaster mitigation almost every year. This year marks the fourth year that the school has held mitigation activities, focusing on flooding.
“Previously, there were fire and earthquake mitigation activities, and now it’s about flooding,” she said.
The preschool principal said that the school’s goal in conducting mitigation and training is not without reason, but to prepare for unexpected disasters.
“Even though this school has never been affected, the weather has been getting more extreme lately, with floods everywhere, so it doesn’t hurt to prepare early,” she said.
In addition to collaborating on this event, Sekolah Bangun Mandiri has actually been working with Dompet Dhuafa for quite some time. According to Rita, the collaboration began around three or four years ago. Through the Ramadan boarding school program, Dompet Dhuafa provides education related to zakat, brings in storytellers, and many other good collaborations.
“Dompet Dhuafa’s reputation is unquestionable. The people in it are honest, responsible, and very helpful,” she said when asked why she chose to collaborate with Dompet Dhuafa. (Dompet Dhuafa)
Text and photos: Aji Pangestu
Editor: Dhika