Ardiansyah Anshorry (Olly) - Earthquake and tsunami in Palu, Sigi and Donggala (Central Sulawesi) occurred on a Friday, 28 September 2018. When they happened, I was watching the coverage on television (I was from Empang Subdistrict, Sumbawa District, West Nusa Tenggara).
I got a whatsapp message from a office friend (let’s just say his name is Khudri) on a Monday 15 October 2018 asking me if I wanted to join the emergency response activities with Yayasan SHEEP Indonesia (YSI). He was then doing an emergency response phase-1 after the earthquake and tsunami in Central Sulawesi.
By Thursday 18 October 2018, Tina (the project manager at Yayasan SHEEP Indonesia) called me. She asked if I was ready to join Yayasan SHEEP Indonesia in the emergency response in Central Sulawesi. I immediately accepted the offer.
Once I got the support of my family, I went to Central Sulawesi on Tuesday 22 October 2018. I flew across the sea for a fourteen-hour trip. Palu was unique. It was located in a cove, and was surrounded by mountains.
I could see the mountains and the sea as far as my eyes could see before we landed in Palu. I was a bit apprehended about my own safety once in Palu. But I was so determined to help out that the apprehension slowly disappearded.
I arrived at SHEEP office in Palu and was welcomed by the field coordinbator (let’s say Opa Bahri) and the Emergency Response Stage-1 team. They were just returning from an emergency response in affected locations, and they welcomed me with open hand.
My team conducted the first service in Panau Village on Wednesday 23 October 2018. I witnessed building ruins along the way, which made me really sad. The second emergency response consisted of two teams (Team II and III). Team II (my team) included one doctor, one pharmacist and two nurses. The services in Panau Village went well, and people were enthusiastic and eager to get back to a normal life that they came to get services from us.
In Panau, I found a few cases such as fractures, torn skin, difficult breathing, diarrhea, and so on. I had the much sympathy for the local people as I could see that they no longer had a house to live in or an environment that they could rely on.
The next day, we went back to SHEEP office at around 20.00. We had coordination meeting, and exchange views about what we had gone through during the emergency response, with the other team who conducted their response in other villages. Then we rested.
The health services lasted for 10 days, from 23 October 2018 to 01 January 2019 covering a few villages in Central Sulawesi. I gained much experience and knowledge from the emergency response team phase-1. I learned about the devastating disater that happened in some places or districts in Central Sulawesi and the way they treated the injured, where the injuries were so diiferent from the onces I encountered in the villages I served with my team.
After the emergency response by team II and III ended, I returned to West Nusa Tenggara. A few weeks later, SHEEP project manager contacted me about the water project to be conducted by team 7 & 8. Again, without any hesitation, I accepted the offer to go.
My friend, Khudri, and I left West Nusa Tenggara to Central Sulawesi (again for a fourten-hour trip) on Tuesday 20 November 2018. After a long trip, we arrived at Palu Office in late afternoon. That night, we conducted coordination meeting. The next morning we started health services. I was once again ecstatic about being part of the emergency response with SHEEP.
We worked between Thurday 22 November 2018 and 01 December 2018, starting with Pulu Village, Polo Subdistrict, Donggala District, as well as othetr villages. In general, the services went well, except in one far away village (let’s just call it Balaisang Tanjung Village). It was a tough route to go the village, and we arrived after sundown, so we had to spend the night there befoe we could start with the services the next morning.