Second Mission of SRO to Simeulue Island
January 26 – February 11, 2006
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
At night, my sister Ul asked me to see her friends from the charity voyage to simeulue Islands. I was not with them at the first voyage. Honestly, I insisted my sister to bring me with her for the second voyage. Then, I met Matt George (field command of SRO) and luckily at the same time I also met Sam George (editor of Transworld surf magazine from USA)- elder brother of Matt. They had been staying in Hotel Bt. Arau. First time, I was afraid that they couldn’t accept me to join them but soon after Matt asked Bill (executive director of SRO), they decided that I could came with them. He introduced me to another team; Alyssa (five-year medical student from Australia, Yee San Loh (journalist from Malaysia but working in Argentina), Zane Kamat (captain and documentary filmmaker from Australia but working in Mexico), and Bill Sharp (from Billabong USA, director executive of SRO as well. I also met Rina and Sherli in there (they were working for travel tour that rent ship Mikumba for us)
Not much time to talk this time but I felt that did like them all.
Thursday, January 27, 2006
After got permission from parents, my sister and I prepared everything for going on voyage for 14 days.
Friday, January 28, 2006
My father took me, my sister and Wati (another doctor besides my sister Ulya and Fadil) to Batang Arau Hotel. We gathered there. We left hotel at 8.30 pm with good wish from Christina (Director of Hotel). We had to get on car for 40 minutes to reach Bungus port. Bill and Sam was already on the ship and load all stuffs properly, tried to make ship keep balance. Only men allowed join the loading time, so the girls were jobless.
We bring so many aids: rice, carpentry tools, fishing equipments, mosquito nets, stationeries, foods, water, etc. We would stop by in Siberut to pick the canoes up.
11.45 pm all team had meeting. Matt gave us guidance about safety procedure. He required us to wear whistle 24 hours! So, if there was an emergency case, we could flow the whistle. (I was just thinking “Can someone hear my whistle if I jumped to the sea by accident?”).
Thank God, at 2 am (Saturday morning) Mikumba sailed. My sister, Wati and I were in the same bedroom. It was difficult for sleep because ship was not stable because the big waves, rain and leaking at the roof of our room but because of tired, we felt asleep.
Saturday, January 29, 2005
At 8 am, everybody woke up and felt happy because ship stopped. We thought that we reached Siberut faster. The funny thing was everybody saw the familiar place. Guess! We were still in Bungus (the port). None of ship crews told us because they knew that all of us must be so tired after loading. The ship was blocked by storm and the captain had no choice but went back to port for safety reason. We also had problems with pump, so if water came into side of ship, it could not flow automatically.
Matt decided that we had to go back to our house and he would inform us about next plan soon. My parents were so surprised that we back home. Wati, Ul and I chose sleep for main program J.
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Matt called my sister at afternoon and told her that we could sail today. We didn’t need to prepare again because all stuffs were kept at hotel still. My father brought us to hotel on time, at 4.30 pm. Matt and Bill had been waiting for us. Fadil came after for about 15 minutes. Matt walked here and there like iron, he was so busy to take care everything.
5.30 pm Christina said nice greeting to us “I don’t wanna see you all for a while!”. She hope we would not have trouble like yesterday. Thank you Christina!
Though we hadn’t known each other yet personally, only knew the names, I felt that I would have nice time with them. Everybody was so nice.
20.15 pm everybody had to hear explanation about emergency plan again. Zane as captain also gave short brief about expedition route but I couldn’t imagine because I never go to Simeulue. I was just listening. Matt showed us where the life jacket and fire extinguisher placed in case we need those stuffs. We were given knowledge about survival, how to release ourselves by using emergency door or window, etc. Matt was so fussy about safety, so we called him Mr. Safety. I don’t like few rules like : “don’t jump on the boat!”, “women should not lift anything!”. I knew that he had big responsibility but I felt that I was in jail with those rules. Sorry, Matt but I believe you know that I am a stubborn.
The structure of Team :
Bill Sharp as Project Commander
Matt George as Field Commander
Reena as Assistant to Matt and Land ops translator
Sherly as Sea ops translator
Muhammad Fadil as Medical Coodinator
Dr. Pasniwati Aziz as Field Doctor
Dr. Ulya Uti Fasrini as Field Doctor
Patra Rina Dewi as Field Nurse
Sam George as Quartermaster, canoe operation, media coordinator
Yee San Loh as Supply coordinator, media operator, translator
Zane Kamat as Marine coordinator, media operations
Renol as co-captain
Khairudin as co-captain
The ship crews: Nawal and Indra (mechanic), Toni (chef), Iskandar and Niko (supporting crews).
Alyssa would join us from Sinabang, Simeulue.
At 9.30 pm Bill said good bye to us. He intent to join us but the schedule changed and he couldn’t cancel another schedule in his list. His last joking to my sister “You go twice, I go zero, so.. go!” with his funny face. I knew that he upset because he couldn’t join the voyage. Bye Bill !”
Oh Mikumba was not like a ship, I felt just like at home. I just hope that our room would not be leaking anymore.
Monday, January 31, 2005
Thank Toni, first breakfast was so delicious, fried noodle!
The second day on the voyage, everybody still need time to adapt with new environment.
At 10.27 am, Mikumba put on anchor in Siberut port. Matt and Sam took canoes that would bring to Simeulue. They had to paddle canoes to pick those canoes repeatedly. Sam brought his own, the red canoe. Wati, Ul and I had job to spray the insects before the canoes were load to Mikumba.
The good news was Zane said that we still had time for fun until 4 pm. After finish loading canoes, Matt and Sam offered us swimming lesson near the beach. They had serious problem because Sherli, wati, Ulya and I couldn’t swim. Actually, my sister and I could swim but not well at all. Fadil and Yee San were also busy as co-instructor helping Matt and Sam. What a beautiful moment!
Swimming made our stomach couldn’t compromise, so we had to be back to Mikumba for lunch. After cleaning our bodies and pray (for Moslem), we enjoy the food, fried fish with red chili. It was so good! Toni was the best cook.
The anchor was pulled out at 2.55 pm. After swimming time, everybody start talking each other, did ice breaking. Fadil was so funny!
Don’t want to be trapped by boring situation spontaneously Sam gave us challenge to paint the canoes. Everybody painted own canoe seriously and Sam gave comment for each. Sam gave title “Hibiscus at the Night” for my sister’s painting. It was so beautiful, abstract but like hibiscus. Zane, the calm captain was teasing wati because Wati painted the tree on the canoe up side down hahaha.. Zane said “The coconut tree must be hit by Tsunami!”.
Tuesday, February 1, 2006
As usual, woke up, had a bath and breakfast with delicious pancake. Not much activity to do, just talking, reading, listening music, watching movie, etc.
Around 1 pm, the cloud turned dark and started going to rain. Sam, Yee San and Zane were so busy to protect canoes by using tarps. Suddenly, Matt asked me to follow him went up to top of Mikumba. I helped him to fill the empty gallons with fresh water. He said that it would be useful for worse condition. We tighten filled gallon at the end of empty gallons, so if we had to jump into the sea in order to survive, we could hold the empty gallon until the rescue comes and could use fresh water for drinking. It was brilliant idea I thought. I don’t know, I have lack knowledge about survival.
16.20 – 17.15 pm again Matt, Sam, Zane had to be busy to bail water out of ship’s side. There was problem because rubbish blocked the water out. Luckily we have mini Sherli (hehe sorry Sher, you had great meaning at that time) who could go inside the ship’s side. She had to bail water out manually. In meantime, the crews were replacing some heavy stuffs to the back of ship, so water could flow easily.
After prayer of Isya, Matt and Sam made attraction by playing guitar and harmonica, time for country song! We were so happy looking at them. They said that was first time for them made duo.
After lunch, the music became hotter. We made Mikumba’s band and Cant Take My Eyes off you as favorite song.
Sherli and Rina had to play flute even though they didn’t know how to play. Yee San was the expert. Fadil and I beat the empty gallons by hands. Ul beat three glasses by using spoon and Wati made melody by spoon and fork. Zane filmed it. So, there was like a real show! Matt were still using guitar and Sam with harmonica. Mmh.. we required a manager J.
Lately night, Zane got inspiration to make dit tyu widu, the traditional music of Aborigin. He went to the deck looking for bamboo.
Matt turn of the lights and lighted a candle, started discussing about “How to Stop the War”. I didn’t enjoy that discussion because everybody had own opinion and the situation became “hotter”. I thought we couldn’t insist others to accept our theory. It’s better go to sleep.
Tuesday, February 2, 2005
06.00 am Mikumba dropped anchor in Gunung Sitoli, Nias. We had to buy equipments for Mikumba (I don’t know what kind of equipments). If I didn’t make a mistake, we need to buy pump, so if waters came to the side of ship, it would not stagnated. No one allowed going ashore but crews. Mr. Safety’s rule J. .
15.00 pm Mikumba left Gunung Sitoli. I was happy that I could send sms to my parents, we still got signal.
Thursday, February 3, 2006
08.00 am. Thank God! Mikumba dropped anchor in Simeulue, particularly in Teluk Busung. Simeulue, we are coming! We could see Willy’s house from Mikumba, one of surfer who had been staying in Simeulue for long. My sister and Wati told me about him. What a nice place!
11.30 am, was an action time, the first day to distribute aids and to open clinic. We collected and made data for aids that we should deliver. The ship was mess up!
13.00 pm, we started to leave ship by using dinghy. Willy house would be our temporary post. Willy’s house was made by wood and some pillars had broken because of Tsunami. We met Pak Gading, a housekeeper and he told us that Willy was not around, going to Medan with his wife. Willy’s house was so pleasant While Matt and Sherlie was taking care everything, Wati and Fadil were playing ping-pong. Zane and Yee San went to village for some interviews. The wind stopped fadil and wati from playing. I never got seasick on the boat but I felt that I got sea sick at willy’s house J. I felt that I couldn’t step properly. We were waiting for Alyssa. She had been in Sinabang at that time.
Zane and Yee San finished their interviews and gathered with us. All of a sudden, Bupati (mayor) of Simeulue visited us. He just told us that it might be better if we made coordination with “posko” (post of aids). We just smiled. Oh come on sir, people can not wait that long!
17.20 am we went to Desa Salur. Fantastic! We went there by truck. I loved it! We stood among aids. Everybody was happy, joking, singing and laughing. It was not usual for the people to see the western, so the kids shouted happily “Bule.. bule…. !” (western people). Alyssa replied them “putiiih… putiih…(white.. white..)“
17.55 pm we reached Desa Salur. Matt talked with Kepala Desa. Wati and I talked with people. They told us that they knew Tsunami would come after earthquake because their grandma said so. The ancestor made song for the next generations because they had ever been hit by Tsunami in 1907. They just need 15 minutes to run the higher ground. They even had time to bring logistic and other needs for a week survival.
18.15 pm we opened the clinic. We got a little trouble because people didn’t want to make a line. They competed to be the first one to get medication. Actually many of them were not sick at all. They just need to talk with us. But we had to make the priority. The old person, the pregnant women and the baby was on the top priority. Patients cold and cough most.
21.30 pm The clinic closed. We went back to Willy’s house again by truck. We had to be careful because we couldn’t see the branch of tree that unexpectedly could snap our head. The sky was so beautiful that night. We could see thunder from far.
22.15 pm we had rest on Mikumba.
Friday, 4 February 2005
8.30 am Mikumba put anchor in Lhok Dalam.
13.00 pm Sam, Zane, Yee San, Alyssa, Wati and Fadil went to village of Lhok Dalam. They observed and brought aids for people. Matt, my sister, crews and I just waited for them on the ship.
16.00 pm the team went back to Mikumba with a young lady named Umi and her grand mother, also one 6 days-old infant (hadn’t given name yet). The baby looked so suffered. We cleaned Sherli’s room for them. We had to bring the baby to the hospital in Sinabang immediately. He really needed help..
At night, his temperature became higher, 39 degree Celcius and had to be bath. Then, Alyssa gave name for the baby “hope” and Ul translated to Arabic language as “Radja” or means King for Indonesia language.
Mikumba sailed to Teluk Busung back.
Saturday, 5 February 2005
04.00 am everybody was up. Mikumba arrived in Tl. Busung’s water. We waited for sunrise because it was to dark to go to hospital.
07.00 am Radja was evacuated to Sinabang hospital by rental car. Umi and her grandma went along with Alyssa and Fadil Sherli and Jason (from SurfAid). Sherli contacted us by radio and informed that Radja would bring to Medan because Sinabang hospital had lack of equipment. But the plan canceled because the baby was to weak to get flight. Alyssa decided to go Medan, looking for the ventilator. In mean time, Fadil and Sherli were still waiting at hospital. Sam, Nico and I prepared the fishing kits and put them to the pail. We would distribute them to the people. We were working under the rain, so cool J.
11.45 am Sam and I left Mikumba to pick Fadil and Sherli up. Alyssa was already back to the hospital and looked after Radja.
.
15.20 pm Mikumba left Teluk Busung.
18.15 Mikumba put anchored in Laeion’s water.
22.00 pm we got bad news from Alyssa that Radja passed away. Every face turned gloomy. He was back to his God in peace. The pain released.
Sunday, 6 February 2005
07.15 pm heavy rain came down, so we couldn’t go to the village on the morning. It was too dark outside.
09.25 am Fadil, Matt, Sam and Rina went to village and brought aids and medicine. They observed the situation in there whether people need medication or not.
10.20 am was still raining. Luckily, the clinic was safe from Tsunami and could be used for medication. Matt and Sam installed tarps outside the clinic because the clinic was too small.
11.15 am the first patient got medication. I was doing administration by standing because it was not possible for using chair and table. Unexpectedly, the strong wind blew the tarps. People were panicking, screaming and some of them leaving the clinic. I remembered what Matt said “If you got problem, just blow your whistle and I will come!, ok?”. So, I blew my whistle as strong as I could while looking for Matt. What a funny moment when I saw Matt carrying aid at the shore, so far from me. Of course, he couldn’t hear my whistle at all. It was much more funny because suddenly people stopped screaming and looking at me. They thought that I blew whistle to make them calm down. I used that situation by giving speech wisely (hehehe… my whistle helped me though). “Don’t worry, it is just a normal wind, no more Tsunami. Please have a sit!” Haha.. I was laughing inside. Matt.. Matt.. where are you? But thanks, because the whistle is useful for me (I am just whispering to myself).
15.00 pm we finished medication because the weather was getting worse and we had to be back to the ship. Thank u, Marni and Niar. You are good nurses.
16.00 pm the dinghy reached Mikumba. The waves were so crazy. Iskandar almost got accident when he tried to jumped from dinghy to the ship. Fortunatley, he didn’t fell down. We were happy because we could be on the ship safely.
16.20 pm Mikumba sailed to Teluk Busung. Alyssa, Umi and grandma were waiting for us there.
Monday, 7 February 2005
06.30 Kanda (kanda means big brother) Sam had to be back to USA. He had schedule that was not possible to delay. We would miss him because he always had joking. We could never forget one of his joking. One night, we got dinner with fried chicken as the main menu. When my sister was biting the fried chicken, Sam shouted loudly “Oh no, you can not do that, you can not eat my friend. Oh no, please don’t do that, I know his father.. I know his mother. Please.. Please.. no.. !” hahaa.. Sam pretended to be chickens that had been seeing my sister from the window. We also brought chickens and goats as aids for people. We put chicken next to glass window. Could you imagine the chicken’s face as Sam pretended?
07.27 am Bye bye Sam! Hope we will see you again. Fadil accompanied Umi and her grandma to look for their relatives in Sinabang.
13.10 pm Fadil joined us and Mikumba sailed..
18.25 pm Mikumba dropped anchored in Simeulucut’s water.
Tuedsday, 8 February 2005
09.10 am Matt, Rina, Zane dan Yee San distributed aids to Lakubang and Labaya village. There was no medication today because all of people were healthy.
15.40 pm Mikumba sailed to the North of Simuelucut. We had no more fresh water, so we jumped on the sea for having bath. It was another fantastic moment because I couldn’t swim J.
Wednesday, 9 February 2005
05.00 am, after Morning Prayer, we stayed awake. We had to open clinic as soon as possible at the village. But we had a little obstacle. The back door that we usually used as main door for carrying aids couldn’t be open. Bravo Zane! You can open the door!. Matt got the fisherman boat to bring a lot of aids
08.30 am Zane was driving dinghy to bring the medical team to the Latak Ayah village. It was quite far because we had to avoid big waves. We had breakfast on the dinghy. Tony put fried rice in the plastic bag. When we reached shore, people spontaneously helped us to carry the aids. I couldn’t tell you the feeling inside. How happy I was when I saw people’s faces, when I saw their smile.
09.00 am we started clinic. Chief of Clinic, Mr. Amris helped us much. People came from 8 villages. Cough was the main problem in there.
18.00 pm we closed the clinic and went to grave of Teuku Jalak di Ujung. People said that the grave was not damaged by Tsunami. It could be true because the corals that covered the grave were still on their place.
18.45 pm we got back to Mikumba.
Thursday, 10 February 2005
09.35 am Mikumba put anchored in Ujung Salang’s water. Matt negotiated with Kepala Desa of Lavaka.
13.00 pm we went to Lavaka village. The clinic was big but still dirty because the debris of Tsunami. Nobody took care the clinic. People were still leaving on the hill. They hadn’t felt save yet, still afraid of Tsunami.
13.30 pm we started the clinic.
14.00 pm we had to stop the medication for a while because it was going to dark. People had no lamps. They needed time to pick the lamp from the hill. So, crews took the lamp from Mikumba. Fadil, Ul and Alyssa had been using the time to give speech about public health
17.00 pm We could finish the medication. We also dropped all medicine for this village because it would be the last day for us before going back to Padang. Nurse Yuli helped us much.
Friday, 11 February 2005
08.10 am Mikumba put anchored in Batu Berlayar Island. Zane would take us diving. Thank God, it is incredible moment in my life! Thank Zane.
I just thought “Could I dive even though I couldn’t swim?” but I didn’t need to be worry because Zane was a diving master. I loved it! I could see lives under water that I never imagined in my life. I could see the water was not clean because of Tsunami but the fishes still happy though J.
21.00 Mikumba had been sailing to Padang. I could never forget the moment with you, my big family in SRO. Thank you very much for a wonderful journey! Thank God for giving the tremendous memories.
wait for the story of third mission of SRO
