BOGOR — On Friday (01/04/2022), the Disaster Management Center (DMC) of Dompet Dhuafa inaugurated a suspension bridge in Sukamaju Village, Cigudeg District, Bogor Regency. Previously, in 2021, a flash flood occurred in Sukamaju Village, affecting 221 houses, 900 families, and damaging one main bridge. The flash flood left behind grief and caused difficulties for the residents around Sukamaju.
Typically, this bridge was built through community self-help efforts. However, it has been destroyed three times. The bridge was constructed with a span of approximately 1 to 2 meters, which is equivalent to the height of the flash flood that struck the area.
“Thank you to LinkAja for donating and acting as a facilitator and mediator rather than a donor for the construction of the Cigowong Bridge. The inauguration and welcoming of Ramadan 1443 H, may it be a blessing for all of you,” explained Ust. Ahmad Shonhaji, Director of Da’wah, Culture, and Community Service at Dompet Dhuafa after the bridge inauguration.
Through the generosity of LinkAja donors and several other donors, the construction of this bridge has been completed. The construction of this bridge took approximately three weeks.
“This (bridge) access is not only used for economic purposes. It is also used by children to go to school. This is the main bridge requested in Kampung Cigowong,” explained Dahyudin, Head of Sukamaju Village.
All of this was made possible by the collective efforts of the local community. They worked together to ensure the success of the bridge construction, which has become a vital link in their daily lives.
“This bridge is part of DMC Dompet Dhuafa’s post-disaster recovery program. The destruction of the bridge cut off access to many aspects of life, from education and health to the economy,“ said Haryo Mojopahit, Chief Executive of DMC Dompet Dhuafa.
”Therefore, donors and DMC Dompet Dhuafa are working to reopen access and restore the community’s life to what it was before, or even better,” continued Haryo.
The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) reported that in the last two years, namely 2020-2021, there were 947 bridges damaged by natural disasters.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing reported that in the last two years, 2019-2020, there were 5,193 damaged bridges. Of these, 4,528 were slightly damaged, 481 were severely damaged, and 184 were broken or destroyed.
The large number of damaged bridges has hampered community activities and made it difficult to carry out daily tasks. This has prompted various parties to help and collaborate with each other in providing suitable connecting bridges for the community.
When there is no bridge, some people are forced to cross the river to carry out their activities, such as going to school, shopping for daily necessities, selling their harvest, going to religious classes, and many more. Not to mention if people have to carry out activities at night with inadequate or no bridges. This will increase the potential danger experienced by the community.
“I have been here since 1998. At that time, there was a suspension bridge, but it was only made of bamboo, so I had to crawl across it. (Then one night) someone called me at 2 a.m.,” explained Suryanih, a local midwife.
“She had a miscarriage and was bleeding. It was drizzling at the time. In the end, I just said Bismillah (in the name of God) and left,” she continued.
“I kept going (even though) I had to crawl (to cross) there. Fortunately, I had three bottles of IV fluid, which was enough (to treat the patient),” she added.
The Cigowong Bridge connects three villages, namely Mekar Jaya Village, Taman Sari Village, and Cigowong Village. It is 85 meters long and 150 centimeters wide. The height of the bridge above the river is 3.5 meters.
“I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the donors and volunteers of DMC Dompet Dhuafa,” said Basri, a local elementary school teacher.
“Hopefully, this will motivate the community to carry out various other activities, whether in education, religion, or other fields,” he concluded. (Dompet Dhuafa / DMC)