IPB University Students Educate on Earthquake Mitigation and Trauma Healing at SDN Sukamaju I Cianjur
A group of IPB University students, part of the Community Service Student Creativity Program (PKM-PM) team called Sigaling, organized an educational activity related to earthquake mitigation at SDN Sukamaju I in Cianjur, West Java. The IPB University PKM-PM team designed the program ‘Sigaling: Education on Mitigation and Trauma Healing’ to instill a disaster-response attitude in children affected by the Cianjur earthquake.
SDN Sukamaju I was one of the schools severely impacted by the Cianjur earthquake in 2022. This elementary school located in Benjot Village, Cugenang District, Cianjur Regency, received attention from the Indonesian President Joko Widodo due to the damaged buildings caused by the earthquake.
According to Elis Fahriyah, SPd, the Principal of SDN Sukamaju I Cianjur, in an interview (29/1), the children still experiencing the trauma, especially since two students from the school lost their lives in the earthquake. Many students also felt trapped under building debris during the earthquake.
“We welcome this program and hope that it can run smoothly until the end,” said Elis during the Sigaling team’s awareness event.
Yunita Ulwiyah, the team leader, stated that the Sigaling program is important to enhance the knowledge and skills of children, especially during earthquakes. Moreover, according to the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), Cianjur is a seismic-prone area due to its location within the Cugenang fault zone.
“This program is needed so that children know how to save themselves during an earthquake, and there are no more casualties,” she added.
Yunita and her team, including Zidni Ni’matul Maula, Ai Riyanti Noviyanti, Dany Setiawan, and Mochammad Fikri Noor Hidayat, hope that this program can reduce the trauma experienced by the children and foster a disaster-response attitude.
As part of their activities, the Sigaling team offered fun learning sessions related to pre-earthquake, during-earthquake, and post-earthquake mitigation. During these sessions, IPB University students provided information about earthquake mitigation, including what actions to take during an earthquake, such as protecting their heads, taking cover under a table, avoiding large objects and glass, and quickly moving to an open space. Additionally, the Sigaling team conducted fun coaching sessions aimed at eliciting the hopes of the children and helping them forget about the past earthquake events.
“We would like to express our gratitude to SDN Sukamaju I for their cooperation and support. Students, as agents of change, are expected to contribute to society, including through this PKM-PM program. The Sigaling PKM-PM team is here to fulfill this task by providing assistance in post-earthquake recovery at SDN Sukamaju I,” said Dr Adisti Permata Sari, the team’s PKM-PM advisor. (IAAS/DSR)
