Help out Lombok Victims
Update
Pictures on my travels and images on the villages and filters are on the link - https://myalbum.com/album/B6rAhnma9DbB .
Recently, Indonesia suffered another natural disaster. On 23 December, at least 222 people were killed and more than 800 others injured after a tsunami hit coastal areas along western Java and southern Sumatra islands. Since starting my GoFundMe in August to help the Balinese, I’ve contacted several organizations to learn of their perspectives and what they found most helpful to the victims in these disasters. Clean water was a major concern and they expressed a need for large water filters to supply rebuilding communities.  Clean water is essential to life and used for cooking and cleaning thus I focused my effort on finding a reputable aid organization and purchasing filters.
I researched various organizations and narrowed down on a couple of reputable and credible aid organizations. I chose Agung Siaga because of their available resources and proven record for providing aid to locals in natural disasters and caring nature of their workers. One issue identified after speaking with Agung Siaga’s supportive staff was the issue with shipping products to the island, even though it’s for humanitarian reasons. The aid organization told me of various filtration products.  After much research, I identified a brand of filter that would be beneficial for the victims of Indonesia. Nazava was highly recommended by several organizations for their sturdy and effective products. It comes in various sizes and I chose the medium sized Nazava filters because it allowed me to purchase a surplus amount while also satisfying the need for large community filters. Qualities include: filter pore <0.4 microns, tested more than 30 laboratories, can filter ± 7000 liters or 2-3 years, can filter 2-3 liters / hour.
Using the money I raised so far, I was able to purchase and deliver 32 medium sized filters. Some villages whom received the filters include Dasan Dangar. This area has bad road access and will possibly be cut off as the rain season progresses which means that gas supply would become very limited, essential for boiling water. The supply of proper water filters could replace the need of a gas supply. Once the pipes installation is completed, another place where filters will be given is Salut. Currently, workers are connecting water from a nearby lake to the village making it more convenient to access the water; the filters can then be utilized to provide clean water. With the recent disasters and long lasting impacts from the earthquakes seen in Lombok, clean water is necessary and water filters are still needed.
Overview
Hi, my name is Kyle Cheung and I am a High School junior. In the summer of 2018, I volunteered with an international non-government organization (NGO), providing medical assistance to local Balinese throughout the island. Meeting new people and experiencing the culture was fascinating and we developed a close bond and friendship. I participated in many cultural and local activities involving the Balinese people. I learned how to make an offering, woodcarve, play traditional Balinese instruments (Gamelan), and even learn how to dance Balinese which allowed me to feel like a true local. I was very fascinated how centered everybody was around religion. With native beliefs combined with Hinduism, a lot of customs were unique compared to the practices in the US. Being centered around school and work it's a different feeling going to a place where the motto is time is family and friends. Seeing the importance of family time and being together made me reflect how I am often too concentrated on electronics or school than my family. Temples can be found everywhere around town and visiting many like Tirta Empul or Tanah Lot immersed me into their culture. The kindness and compassion from the Balinese people made my experience more worthwhile and eager to help out. Meeting new friends and locals with genuine personalities also shaped my attitude desiring to have an authentic charisma like theirs. Also in Bali, I visited many foundations including Bhakti Senang or Bumi Sehat where an individual was able to start a foundation and help out those in their community. Realizing what can be achieved, I realized I can make an impact on society. Â Â During my stay, I experienced several earthquakes. It was very frightening because I felt my own life was in jeopardy. Although I was on the island next to the epicenter, I want to help.
Service Trip
The first portion of my humanitarian aid with the international organization in Bali was home visits. Along with experienced medical students studying in Bali, we traveled around the area visiting homes and providing service. Walking into strangers homes and property felt uncanny but the locals were very welcoming and appreciative of our aid. I work included taking blood pressure, blood sugar, height and weight, and checking bathrooms to find the presence of mosquito larvae. Many people in Indonesia haven't visited medical professionals or facilities due to the strenuous economic cost. Therefore, helping them and informing the locals about issues we found while also giving advice felt worthwhile and satisfying. The second part of my aid was going to a public children's school at Sawan, Bali, Indonesia named SD negeri 8 bungkulan. While most schools teach advanced classes such as math or science, often many do not consider the importance of Health Ed Classes. Thus by observing society and reflecting to my own experiences I created educational classes suited for children ages 9-11. Traveling around I noticed how polluted and piled up the trash was in Bali and I decided to teach a lesson on the dangers of trash build up and the importance of proper trash disposal. Reflecting on my childhood, I also believed that teaching the students different types of bullying and ways to prevent, stop, and help others affected by bullying would be beneficial. However, teaching the children was very difficult due to the language barrier. Â I had to develop, plan and translate the entire lesson. Educating the children and seeing their kindness and patience for a foreign teacher made me feel happy I was able to teach them important lessons and hopeful they can apply my advice to their own experiences.
Lombok Earthquake
Throughout my stay I have felt several earthquakes all of close vicinity to Bali that have frightened me. Asking friends and locals, they all replied that the amount of earthquakes were abnormal. The first earthquake I felt was a 6.4 earthquake on July 29 where the epicenter was close to Lombok. Bali being close to Lombok only saw little damage however I was terrified never experiencing an earthquake before. Many smaller earthquakes occured after although still damaging with some reaching 5s on the Richter magnitude scale. On August 5, the destructive earthquake measuring 7.0 hit the neighboring island of Lombok with its epicenter at North Lombok Regency. A long period of ruptures occurred that was clearly felt in Bali made me fear for my life. The ruptures created tsunamis and the dangerous aftershocks damaged many parts of Lombok as well as Bali. Government estimates state that 80% of buildings have been destroyed in North Lombok and 543 aftershocks have been recorded. The devastating earthquake resulted in 558 confirmed killed and more than 400,000 displaced out of their home. Traveling around Bali and seeing many buildings destroyed shocked me as I was very close to the disaster. Seeing the locals that had treated me with kindness now in need of help prompted me to try and make a difference. While traveling home I was notified that on August 19, another 6.9 earthquake struck Lombok resulting in more damage and fatalities. With Indonesia being a developing country and it not having a great infrastructure, its lack of clean water, medical facilities and natural disasters make the situation more dire and harder to recover from.
Drinking Water for Lombok Earthquake Victims
Observing society and knowing life is dependent on water, I understand how the lack of clean water is a major problem to Indonesia. According to the Water Environment Partnership in Asia (WEPA), at least 80 percent of 250 millions Indonesian has no access to piped water. Pollution of water is often due to issues like domestic waste in rivers or industrial activities. The recent devastation from the earthquake destroyed many homes and water pipes resulting in contaminated water therefore I seek to purchase portable military grade water filters straws from my donations for individuals to carry. With water filters being very scarce in society and lack of available clean water, these straws can be life saver to the victims of the earthquake. The straw I seek to purchase is the LifeStraw which has the ability to filter up to 1,000 gallons of water and remove 99.999999% of waterborne bacteria, waterborne protozoan parasites, and Microplastics. More info about the straw can be found at the LifeStraw website. During my travels I had visited several foundations. However, I was very fascinated by the organization Bumi Sehat. The organization's foundation and its integrity made me understand how one individual can make a difference. The organization helps pregnant women and children but goes to many natural disasters and provides service. Robin Lim, the 2011 CNN Hero of the year, created this foundation providing birthing services and medical aid in Indonesia, to individuals who cannot afford care. Currently, Bumi Sehat is in Lombok and I believe the water filter straws will be very helpful with their effort.
