TANAH DATAR, WEST SUMATRA — “I still had time to hold his hand. But the flood got heavier and I lost my grip. I don’t know where she is. It was dark, but I could still hear my daughter’s voice crying for help. Until now, I haven’t found him,” said Nova (41), recounting her sad experience when the galodo (flash flood) hit Jorong Panti, Nagari Rambatan, Rambatan Subdistrict, Tanah Datar Regency.
On Saturday (11/05/2024) in the early morning, Nova’s third child, Aira Ramadani (7) was swept away in the galodo. The house and its contents were lost without a trace. The grief in his heart and the wounds on his body were left behind. The memory of his daughter, Aira, is still vivid in his mind. Nova told her story without crying, as if the tears had run out.
“I miss…” he said sadly, while showing via his gadget a photo of his only daughter. “Of course we try to be steadfast, and read the Qur’an when we miss Aira, it calms us down,” Nova added.
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Nova again said, “Aira has started to memorize a lot of the Qur’an. She really likes Surah Al-Alaq. It’s soothing to see her learning and memorizing the Qur’an. Her siblings also go to Quran school, so they like to study together. At the time of the galodo, my second child, Dava (12), was sleeping in the mosque with the others, so he was safe from the galodo.”
With all fortitude, now Nova, her husband, and their two children, live in a temporary shelter made of wooden material measuring about 6×3 meters, which is divided into two for two families inside.
“The house and its contents, cars, motorcycles, were all washed away. But I didn’t feel or think about it. I was almost swept away but people saved me. Thankfully, my husband and children are now safe. Aira is the one we love the most. Reading the Qur’an is what makes me miss and calms my heart. Thank you, for coming all the way here, I hope this Qur’an assistance will be meaningful,” Nova admitted to the Dompet Dhuafa team, Saturday (07/20/2024).
Together with the Singgalang Branch, Dompet Dhuafa distributed donor assistance to survivors in the galodo-affected areas of Tanah Datar Regency, Saturday (07/20/2024). The assistance included 100 Al-Qur’an, 100 prayer tools and 2.5 tons of rice distributed to beneficiaries in the Nagari Sungai Jambu area, Pariangan District; Nagari Rambatan, Rambatan District; Nagari Parambahan, Lima Kaum District, Tanah Datar Regency.
Read also: Memories flooded, Kartini’s testimony of seeing her house hit by Galodo
It is known that one of the impacts of the flash flood is that the main road connecting Padang and Bukittinggi is also completely paralyzed. Among them is the Jambu River route. Along the river, there are several new buildings, such as rest areas, shops, restaurants and other family tourism centers.
Friends, let us pray and provide the best support for survivors affected by the galodo disaster in West Sumatra digital.dompetdhuafa.org/donation/Indonesiasiagabencana to be given the strength to recover. And do not forget to pray for the health of humanitarian activists who are involved in helping with disaster management in West Sumatra. (Dompet Dhuafa)
Text and photo: Dhika Prabowo
Editor: Dedi Fadlil