We’ve watched with horror as the number of Indonesians killed, injured and displaced by the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami in the Palu district has climbed even higher. In spite of impassable roads, risk of landslides and fuel shortages, some of our most experienced emergency team members are on the ground working tirelessly to help families and children affected by this disaster.
Getting survivors access to safe water and sanitation resources is our highest priority as deadly diseases become fatal risks in crowded camps filled with those who have lost their homes. Mercy Corps’ Indonesia team is also continuing their response to the earthquake in Lombok, which displaced 20,000 people in August of this year.
We’d like to introduce you to some of the members of this amazing team who, with your support, are focused on helping devastated Indonesians survive and recover:
Afkar is a first responder in Indonesia who’s been working on solving technical issues during emergency situations with Mercy Corps for a decade in his position as Senior Program Officer for Technical Assistance and Training Team Program. He will be organizing solutions for our teams on the ground.
As a Senior Program Officer, Arianto was one of the first to arrive in Palu after the earthquake. His first steps were to set up an emergency headquarters, establish communication with other responders and secure fuel so that the team could reach survivors. Arianto has worked with Mercy Corps in emergencies in Eastern Asia and the Pacific including the 2015 earthquake in Nepal.
Another longtime Mercy Corps staff member, Dasci will support the emergency response team as Training Officer, educating new team members with his knowledge of local challenges and disaster recovery. He has helped save lives and rebuild in Indonesia after the 2004 Aceh earthquake and tsunami, the 2010 Mentawai tsunami, and the 2014 Kelud volcano eruption.
A newer member of Mercy Corps, Genadi has been our eyes and ears as we assess conditions and challenges on the ground. He also works as the Field Officer for Mobile Financial Services for Female Entrepreneur Program in Indonesia and responded to the 2018 earthquake in Lombok.
Julisa will be working to support Indonesian youth as they recover, rebuild and make the difficult transition to adulthood in an already challenging environment. During emergencies, Julisa takes the lead on advocating and planning programs for vulnerable adolescents. She has over 10 years of experience working with youth around the world and currently is Director of Mercy Corps’ GirlSPARKS, a global training hub that uses girl-centered design to help organizations better meet the needs of adolescent girls.
Piva is coordinating the difficult logistics of getting staff and emergency supplies like water filters to those affected. Piva has been a part of the Mercy Corps team for 9 years and been an emergency responder in Indonesia since 2005, so she’s helped save lives during all kinds of natural disasters including earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones and volcanic eruptions.
She shared that the team is "implementing the lessons we learned from previous responses to ensure we provide the right aid and distribute it right on target. We already have a strategy not only for this emergency period but also for long-term recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction."
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