BANDUNG, unpas.ac.id – Thousands of residents affected by eruption of Mount Semeru are still evacuating at certain number of points. In addition to material needs, the mental condition of post-disaster children also requires psychological treatment, one of which is through trauma healing.
For this reason, volunteers from UKM Racana Scouts and the Voluntary Corps (KSR) of Universitas Pasundan who were deployed to the Mount Semeru eruption refugee camp held a trauma healing program for children to recover from trauma, as well as educate about disaster mitigation.
This program collaborates with West Java Regional Disaster Management Agency (Badan Penanggulangan Bencana Daerah Jawa Barat, BPBD) and was attended by and given to the children of Dharma Wanita 02 Kindergarten Sumberwuluh, Kecamatan Candirejo, Kabupaten Lumajang.
The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD) tends to occur/appear to children compared to adults; because it is often difficult for children to tell their worries.
According to a volunteer of Unpas Racana Pramuka, Suci Anggraini Bima Putri, an appropriate method of trauma healing for children is to invite/let them play. Children must be invited to do fun things, so it will not cause any of psychological impacts, such as sadness, sleeping difficulty/disorder, being alone.
“Trauma healing is an important need for disaster victims. By doing trauma healing therapy, victims are expected to recover from their trauma and able to carry out their life as like before the disaster happened,” she said.
Trauma healing program for child victims of Mount Semeru eruption was filled with various activities, such as colouring a picture to train their creativity, building a motor skills and bringing back the joy of children.
“Our hope is, this [colouring a picture], as part of the action for trauma healing, could be a little bit entertaining and helpful for them. Inviting these children to play, even around the disaster location, is expected to be able to help them recover [from the trauma],” she continued.
Suci hoped that these children would be tougher persons who are able to pass their life without being disturbed by the past-disaster.
Unpas Vice Rector III, Dr. He. Deden Ramdan, M.Si said that the volunteers getting directly into the disaster area of Mount Semeru eruption, are ensured to have competences and have already understood the field assessment.
“Unpas student volunteers have already understood about evacuation, logistics distribution, including trauma healing for children affected by disasters and other necessary activities. This is part of humanity’s duty as a form of devotion and service to the country,” he concluded. (Reta)*
