A great sigh of relief for today,” said Dr Irene Setiadi, a humanitarian activist from KBKK (Kelompok Bakti Kasih Kemanusiaan) – a Catholic humanitarian group in Jakarta– resuming her spiritual experience after several days collecting donations to Mentawai’s quake-cum-tsunami survivors through a charity works.
“I am spiritually delighted to learn about that so many donors extending their helping hand to help Mentawai’s survivors,” she said, adding that two big trucks loaded with variety of materials already dispatched to Padang in West Sumatra Province with single destination: Mentawai’s quake-cum-tsunami survivors.
Speaking to AsiaNews today, Dr Setiadi –a Germany graduated dermatologist—said that the humanitarian move was set in accordance with her KBKK’s spirit namely to perform the love and compassion of Christ to others without any preference. “In the next coming days, another team of KBKK comprising of 3 medical practitioners, two volunteers will also be dispatched d to Mentawai,” she said.
This humanitarian mission to Mentawai, explained Dr Irene Setiadi, is done within a good team-work management with Padang Diocese’s Caritas body. “KBKK’s relief team will be on the site for at least four weeks under the supervision of Father Augustine Mudjihartono Pr as the diocese’s Caritas chief,” said Dr Setiadi.
This November’s mission becomes KBKK’s second humanitarian move in Mentawai after another mission in 2008.
Previously, two members of KBKK namely Mrs. Lusiana Srikiana and Grace Eka Negara also made another humanitarian mission to Mentawai. “We were there along with two nuns from Kediri in East Java Province namely Sister Ina PK and Sister Lusy PK, two young medical doctors namely Dr Yudi and Dr Daniel and one volunteer from Padang Diocese and one medical practitioner from Caritas Indonesia. We so exited to extend our helping hand to them,” wrote Grace to AsiaNews earlier.
Both Lusi and Grace were very sad as the ship’s captain suddenly announced the trip was cancelled due to 4-mter
high tidal waves, despite the fact of one-hour sailing off the port of Padang. “Actually, the trip to Mentawai was designed moths earlier before quake-cum-tsunami hit Mentawai. The humanitarian mission trip was orchestrated since May 2010 in connection to foster relationship with local priest namely Fr. Andreas Yogi –the chief priest of Sikakap Parish Church of Mentawai—and Father Anton Wahyudi SX from Siberut Island. Sponsored by William Soeryadjaja Foundation, the trip was intended to establish an scholarship initiative to local people,” said Lusi.
However, the scenario changed drastically when earthquake-cum-tsunami hit these Mentawai archipelago until we finally designed another humanitarian trip by the end of October.
According to Dr Irene, after humanitarian mission to Mentawai now KBKK is preparing another mission to Mount Merapi’s victims in Central Java.
Andreas Gunawan, a medical practitioner and also an humanitarian activist of KBKK, will be person in charge of next mission to Central Java. “We urgently need several electric generators, water, used clothes, medical supplies, food supplement, mattress and blanket for Mt. Merapi’s refugees who are still seeking refuge to hundreds of temporary shelters,” said Dr Andreas Gunawan to AsiaNews today.
KBKK is a pure catholic lay people who has great passion to share their catholic faith of love and compassion to others, mostly the unlucky people: victims of natural disaster and any political conflict.
In its 10-year presence in Indonesia, KBKK has performed its humanitarian mission in more than 20 dioceses across the country including providing health service and food supply to former East Timor refugees in Atambua of East Nusa Tenggara Province, shortly after the 1999’s mayhem in Dili, to sectarian clashes victims both in Ambon and Poso, tsunami-cum-earthquake in Aceh, quake’s survivors in Padang, Yogyakarta, Tasikmalaya, health service at native Papuans in remote areas in Papua Province –among others—in Nabire. Another humanitarian mission was also done in Central Borneo and tiny islands off shore of South China Sea.
Under the supervision of Msgr. Dr Sutrisnaatmaka MSF –bishop of Palangkaraya in Central Borneo—KBKK has at least 250 humanitarian activists comprising of medical practioners, architects, both active and retired professionals and not to forget dozens of priests, nuns, religious community and bishops.
