IT WAS A GREAT TRIP TO JOGJA BUT SO MUCH SADNESS TO BE EXPERIENCED

Peggy and I were so lucky that we were able to go as planned to Jogja without rerouting our flights. We were able to go from Jakarta to Jogjakarta directly and best of all I was able to see the Merapi mountain from the plane clearly .  It was so clear weather when we did the flight and when we visited the two camps for the evacuees .  It was the refuge place hosted by one of the university some 12 km from the Merapi mountain and the other one was about 16 km away from the mountain.  After that trip we are so sad to know that the next day the refuge place must be abandoned as the dangerous zone was extended to 20 km from the mountain.  A new refuge place was made in Klaten government office . It was may be enough for 30 000 people but it was forced to be occupied by some 50 000 people now. There are some 180 places to host the evacuees and at so many different area.   The night after Peggy and I visiting the refuge place , at midnight (Tue and Wed and Thu ) some huge eruption were happening and one eruption was shoot up to 8000 meter of debris into the air. I climbed up at tree at our house right after I heard the explosion and I saw a red glowing lava from the mountain top. Only after some 30 minutes coming back to my room , we heard so loud noise on our roof. It was a shower of pebble ( rain of pebble) .  later it was followed by the shower of sand and finally ash for hours.  We are some 26 km away from the mountain , can we imagine to be at nearer place ?  The next day we were blessed with normal rain ( water) so the ash are washed away ( most of it).

Actually I have been planning to come to Jogja to see a friend who is very successful with his fruit farming. I wanted to learn from him about how to plan dragon fruits and others .  Indeed I went to Jogja but only seeing so much sadness . Some areas where people are frequently traveling and spending time because of its beautiful landscape, clean air and fresh veggies and fruits now everything are gone . So sad to see the places which was wiped out by the lava and hot air from the mountain. It was said on the news paper that the heat can be up to 900 C when wiping the area.

Peggy and I were only able to do so little but at least we know what to do better when we are going there again. We are planning to go and to distribute again on November 14th. If you have the time please join us .   We have some 200 blankets to distribute and more blankets will be send by friends who are donating it to the victims.  We have ordered some 10 000 masks and another friend told me few hours ago that he will donate 12 000 masks to us . we have bought 1000 bottles of eye drops and another friend will donate 1200 more.  We have some 100 sarongs left to be distributed . We will buy some more and if you want to donate sarongs or blankets please do so. It can be sent to my place in Jogja.  The address is  Klitren Lor GK 3/ 412  , Gang Poncowati , Jogjakarta 55222 Indonesia. Contact person while I am not there is my cousin Franky Chandra Hersanto  ( Anda) , ph + 62 818267190.

Items being needed are books for the children to help them to spend time with productive activities as their trauma healing, children clothing, blankets, sarong, plastic mattresses, baby food , baby / child milk powder , vitamin of any kind ( C , ED , E , multi vits etc) , diapers, eye drops, food items like canned food ( sardine and corned beef).    I just received a phone call from my friend Sapto , who is at Jogja and managing one of the shelter place, He asked me to ask some help from anyone for medication items.  So many people are effected with the ash and their breathing are disturbed. So people are having eye problems also because of the sulfur and ash from the volcanic ash / debris.    You may send any of the items to the address above and we will distribute them accordingly . Best if you can distribute them directly.

We are willing to have the abandoned babies because of this Merapi mountain eruption may be up to 5 babies to be placed at our orphanage if need be. The children are deserve to have all the chances in life to grow and to live well and also the rights to study properly. Please help by any means if you are able.

Have a blessed day to All

Here are some picture from my last trip, the pictures are some taken by my friends and media too.