Central Java – Jogjakarta. Regional Representative held a social activity for children of Merapi eruption’s victims on Sunday, April 21st 2013 in VDMS Office at permanent houses of Pagar Jurang, in the hills of Merapi. This event was a collaboration program with students of Psychology, Islamic University of Indonesia. The reason of conducting this event was that the parents complained about their children of having no fun, laughing, and happy activities held for their children for such a long time since they moved to the permanent houses 6 months ago. In the same time, Central Java – Yogyakarta RR had a kite festival for them. However, as it was raining season, and it seemed it was not conducive to play kite in the rainy season, RR changed the program to SundAy Morning with Our TRaditIonal Games. This activity was abbreviated into AMORIA. Therefore, Amoria was a meeting point for children of Merapi eruption’s victims to be cheerful, happy, fun, and being a place to build friendship and kinship through some traditional games such as Bakiak, Gobak sodor, Bentengan, Balap karung, dan Dongeng.
Ten alumni, twenty students of Psychology of Islamic University, forty children of Merapi, and four VDMS offices including the office manager Bu Pariasih Manoto and Director of VDMS, Pak Edwin Kisman, attended the activity.
The activities were initially begun at 08.00 a.m. with ice breaking and warming up. Boys and girls were assemblage into one and they made a big stand circle. Here children started the ice breaking with small activity like “Ikan Buntal”, and “Goyang Poki-Poki”. Pungky and alumni form Semarang and Yogyakarta had been there to run the activity. The children were starting their activities smiley and happy.
At 09.00, a delegation of VDMS lead Pak Edwin came and the activity was stopped for a moment to manage speech from the chairperson of RR, Nizamuddin Sadiq, and Director of VDMS, Pak Edwin Kisman.
After that, it was about, 9.30, the activity was continued to play bentengan. The venue was separated between boys and girls. Bentengan was played in group of 5 children. Each group would divide into attackers and defenders. The attackers might go to other group to find answer of the question given, while the defenders might defense their castle from the other group’s attackers. Although, it was getting hot as the sun was very shining, the participants showed high enthusiasm to play the game.
Finished playing bentengan, children continued the game with bakiak at 10.00. This game was played in group of 5. Children’s leg were ready in Bakiak. They should move in the same legs together, otherwise they would fall. Before they moved from the starting line, the group would be given a question and the group who could find the answer and went back to finish line would be the winner. It was very funny as some of the group could not move their legs as some wanted to start with right legs while others start with their right legs. Moreover, it was difficult to turn around as the group might be very synchronous in their legs.
The games and happiness continued with playing gobak sodor at 10.30. The children played this game enthusiastically until they did not realize that the time went so fast. It was 11 o’clock, and all activities were stopped as it was very sunny and was getting hot.
Then the committees and some of the female inhabitants were preparing the lunch for all. The menus were yummy as they were traditional village menus such as fried tempe, kacang polong, and misoa. After that, it was breaking time to do prayers and was waiting for the second menu.
While waiting for the story teller, all participants were assemblage to enjoy the ice cream. It was exactly at 1 p.m. that the story teller, Kak Daryono, came. He started it by warming up activities. He was interactively playing his sounds, mimes, and moves. After all the children were ready, he started the story, being a good child. Kak Daryono was very attractive and funny. He could imitate many characters that the children could enjoy and got involve in a very interactive story telling. This activity was closed at 2 p.m.
The last but not least, P Edwin gave the gift to children symbolically to all children. The representative of the children was Rian, after Rian accepted the gift and then the committees spread the gift to all children who got participated in that day’s program.
The last activity was posing and taking pictures. All participants, VDMS alumni, VDMS office, Psychology students of UII and all the children were in pose. They were happy and enjoy the whole activities. One important thing when we unite is that we can share, learn, and encourage one another.
For the additional activity, VDMS office and Alumni continued the journey that day to Kimpulan Temple which was situated in the centre front yard of main library of Islamic University of Indonesia, and to UII museum which was located in the basement of that building. The museum displayed the history of Islamic University of Indonesia as the oldest university in Indonesia; while the Kimpulan Temple (also known as Pustakasala temple) is a 9th to 10th century Hindu temple. The temple was accidentally discovered on 11 December 2009 during land excavations to lay foundations for the construction of a new university library.
Nizammudin Sadiq
Chairperson of RR Central Java-Jabodetabek
A girl arranges the pieces of paper to answer the question