Kawan Lama Group Cares for People Affected by Mount Semeru Eruption

Kawan Lama Group Cares for People Affected by Mount Semeru Eruption

Article
19th January 2022

The Semeru eruption on 4 December 2021 has left a sorrowful grief for people living in Candipuro District, Lumajang Regency, East Java. From the injured and deceased, destroyed housings and  public facilities, to the emotional trauma distress–especially for children. 

Kawan Lama Group gathered a donation bank internally and has collected blankets, clothes and underwears, sanitary pads, nursery essentials such as diapers, formula milk, and baby biscuits, books, stationeries, and toys, including educational toys donations from Toys Kingdom.

Fourteen palettes (211 boxes) of donations had been collected from Head Office staff and store employees ranging from Jabodetabek, Bandung, Semarang, Surabaya, Sidoarjo, Gresik, Malang, to Kediri on 17-23 December 2021. Then, the boxes of donations were gathered in one of Kawan Lama Group’s distribution centers in Sidoarjo, East Java, filling up an operational container truck with a length of 40 ft (12 meters). The donations were delivered to Candipuro District along with 12 volunteers for a trauma healing program. Before, ACE through Kawan Lama Foundation had also sent 25,000 masks for local people and volunteers during the disaster emergency period on 9 December 2021.

Head of Corporate Communication & Sustainability Kawan Lama Group Beatrice explained that they took this initiative as it aligns with Kawan Lama Group’s tagline, Bring Value for a Better Life, and one of Kawan Lama Foundation’s focus pillar, humanity. She added that aside from gathering and delivering donations, 12 Kawan Lama Group staff from Jakarta, Jember, and Surabaya volunteered in the shelter site. By this program, the volunteers were ready to encourage and motivate children and toddlers with storytelling, games, and building the Tree of Hope.

Gleaming smiles of children in the shelter were seen while they’re enjoying the series of activities: coloring, listening to storytellings, and playing games. The kids were also enthusiastic while writing their dreams on paper, and then glued them to the Tree of Hope.

Monique Shintami, a volunteer from ruparupa.com–a part of Kawan Lama Group’s Commercial Technology business pillar–stated, “we run this trauma healing program with the kids in shelter. We played and gave presents to help relieve their sadness after the disaster.”

On site, Kawan Lama Group’s volunteers met Nurul Hidayati, a representative from PKK Gerbangmas in Sumberejo Village, Candipuro District. She expressed her gratitude for the volunteers’ service at SMPN 1 Candipuro shelter, which is under her care. Hidayati also hoped for this trauma healing activity from Kawan Lama Group’s volunteers to bring back the children’s spirit.