PIDIE JAYA, ACEH ——— Floods have destroyed school buildings in three provinces on the island of Sumatra. In addition to cutting off access and isolating several areas, the floods have also damaged a number of educational facilities, such as school buildings. Mud has filled every classroom and schoolyard. Therefore, repairs are needed so that these facilities can once again serve their purpose of providing education to children who have survived the disaster. For this reason, during this recovery period, Dompet Dhuafa is targeting the renovation of a number of schools affected by flooding and the establishment of dozens of emergency schools in three provinces.
Starting the new semester in 2026, on Monday (1/12/2026) morning, thanks to the generosity of its donors, Dompet Dhuafa successfully completed the renovation of three schools in the Pidie Jaya region, Aceh. The schools in question are SDN 03 Meureudu, State Elementary School (MIN) 1, and State Elementary School (MIN) 4 Meurah Dua. The cleanup of school areas from flood-related mud, repairs to damaged sections, and the repainting of school walls have been completed by Dompet Dhuafa through DD Construction.
During his visit to the construction site of the Emergency School at MIN 1 Pidie Jaya on Monday afternoon, Prof. Abu Rohmad, Director General of Islamic Guidance at the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs, expressed his appreciation for Dompet Dhuafa’s work in restoring educational facilities.
“We would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to Dompet Dhuafa for their assistance in building the Emergency School at MIN 1 Pidie Jaya. This assistance is very meaningful in ensuring that the teaching and learning process continues after the disaster. We hope that similar support can also reach other schools that have been severely damaged, as well as help fulfill the educational needs of the students,” said Prof. Abu Rohmad.
Previously, Herdiansah, Deputy Chair of Dompet Dhuafa, also reopened SDN 03 Meureudu. On this occasion, Herdiansah said, “Alhamdulillah, today we can witness together the reopening of SD Negeri 03 Meureudu, in Meurah Dua, Pidie Jaya, Aceh. It is wonderful to see the children back in school after the renovation of the school building. Hopefully, this can be a source of hope for the children’s education here. This is just the beginning. Insha Allah, there will be several school renovations in other areas, and we will also provide dozens of emergency schools in flood-affected areas in three provinces in Sumatra.”
On the same occasion, the Secretary of Pidie Jaya, Dr. Munawar Ibrahim, said, “The Pidie Jaya Regency Government expresses its appreciation and gratitude to Dompet Dhuafa for its assistance and concern in renovating SDN 3 Meureudu after the flood. Hopefully, with the school repairs and school supplies assistance, the children will be more enthusiastic about learning. We also hope that similar support will continue for other schools that were severely damaged by the floods, such as MIN 1 Pidie Jaya, MIN 4 Pidie Jaya, and SMPN 1 Pidie Jaya.”
At the inauguration of the school renovation, Dompet Dhuafa also distributed school kits donated by donors. This ensured that the children affected by the disaster had access to stationery and other school supplies.
According to monitoring by the Emergency Education Response (RDP) team from Dompet Dhuafa, over 2,300 students were affected by the flash floods and landslides that struck three provinces on the island of Sumatra. Since being deployed last December, the Dompet Dhuafa RDP team has involved 234 volunteers and has intervened in 23 schools, helping 209 teachers and 2,341 students. According to BNPB data as of January 12, 2026, there were 1,312 damaged educational facilities in Aceh Province, 1,217 damaged educational facilities in North Sumatra Province, and 659 damaged educational facilities in West Sumatra. In addition to educational facilities, Dompet Dhuafa is also building hope by constructing temporary shelters for affected survivors.
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On the other hand, Tito Karnavian, Minister of Home Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, also appreciated the work of Dompet Dhuafa since the disaster struck and during the post-disaster period in the affected areas.
“I commend Dompet Dhuafa for collaborating with the Central Aceh Government in providing temporary housing (Rumtara) for the community. This kind of synergy is what we need to accelerate recovery and maintain the community’s hope,” said Tito. (Dompet Dhuafa)
Text and photos: Bani Kiswanto
Editor: Ronna