A Reflection from Pariaman
By : Hery D. Kurniawan

Let sorrow turns to sweat. Sorrow shall only be for a moment. There is no use to be in long sorrow just because our mother’s house was no longer existed because of earthquake. It will only stopping life.  See around you, there are more people losing what they had, including children, parents and families. Help others..This is a little reflection that I caught from my friend who were still struggling for post-earthquake in Pariaman.

Leni Marlina, facilitator of Masyarakat Mandiri was almost not coming home to her hometownPariaman, this year. Last Ramadhan, she felt being “judged” by an ustadz that gave lecture. He said “As long as our parents are still alive, don’t waste your time, go visiting them. Show our devotion..”. Then after hearing that lecture, Leni decided to come home to Pariaman and met her parents and the rest of her families. And it was because of high prices of planes and buses, she decided to postpone her departure back to Jakarta until October 1, 2009.

Allah might had other plan for Leni, to give her more time to be with her mother, in different way.. On September 30, 2009, a big earthquake suddenly hit Pariaman and the rest of West Sumatera. Leni stayed with her mother as refugees. She felt that Allah loved her because she could be with her beloved mother, in sorrow. Long time did not meet each other, then when the time came, it came in sorrow. Subhanallah, Allah sent gift in different way.

It was about two days that Leni “enjoyed” herself being the victim of disaster. Under the tent where she stayed, she remembered about her facilitated partners, meatballs and fried-foods vendors in East Jakarta, when their places were flooded in 2007 and they had to go to safer places. At that time, she felt their sorrow, living in a wooden/reused zinc small places, flooded as well. They lost their properties, such as their foodstalls. And she remembered that she encouraged them to wake up again soon and moved forward, leaving all sorrows behind. Suddenly, she felt hardly to breath…

“I must not give up” her soul screamed. “I should not let sorrow occupied me in long time”. And so, two days after disaster, she joined her friends from Dompet Dhuafa in Pariaman. Together with them, Leni did her pledge, to work for the disasters’ victims.

She helped Dompet Dhuafa in several urgent activities, such as area mapping, logistic management, and also post-traumatic “school” for children called Sekolah Ceria. After that, temporary housing program (Huntara) called her to be involved in negotiation team. Her task was to consolidate all related parties, including the victims to prepare for semi-permanent housing as temporary place to stay.

It is so greatfull that she could give something to others. She hoped with all her heart that  people of Pariaman and all West Sumatra will move forward soon. Mambangkik batang tarandam.