Palu’s Kids Take a Shake‑And‑Stir Approach to Picking Up Where They Left Off
When a 7.5‑magnitude quake and tsunami hit Palu on Sept. 28, the city’s people felt the ground turn into a “liquid playground.” Among the major casualties, at least 1,763 people lost their lives, but the real ache is the fact that thousands more are still missing.
Back to the Classroom—With a Mission
On Monday, despite the aftermath, Palu’s students rolled up to school wearing their gray and white uniforms, ready to clean up and keep track of who’s left. “It’s sad to see our school like this,” said Dewi Rahmawati, 17, who hopes to finish high school and then study economics. The cleanup crew swept up jagged glass, gathered broken trophies, and nicked a cracked basketball court. Though it may feel like a scavenger hunt, the mission is clear: recover the lost, keep the future alive.
From Social Media to “Return” Calls
Students had been nudged to return via Facebook and WhatsApp messages. Principal Kasiludin told reporters that the teacher staff were called in to collect data about the classrooms and to gauge how many students still linger. “We won’t force any child to return because many are still traumatized,” he said, but “starting soon keeps their spirits handy and sharp.”
The school had lost at least seven students and one teacher—it’s a bleak spread of numbers but also a rallying cry.
Smaller Scale No More—12‑Hour “Living Lib”—
At SMP Negeri 15 Palu, barely 50 of the 697 students showed up. Principal Abdul Rashid knows of four students who died in the quake. “Classes haven’t started. We’re just collecting data to see who’s safe,” he explained. “I’m awaiting instructions from the Education Ministry. We’re not ready yet. Many kids are still scared.”
Student Voices
- “I’m disappointed when so few classmates come. I want school to start so I can check on them.” – Muhamad Islam Bintang Lima, dressed in a crisp school uniform.
- He added, “I hope they’re okay, but I haven’t heard from so many.”
Beyond Palu—Reflections on Indonesia’s Fear‑Makers
Most of the dead from the quake and tsunami were in Palu, the state’s main urban centre. For more remote areas, death tolls are trickling in and appear lower. Sulawesi, one of Indonesia’s five major islands, frequently jolts with earthquakes and tsunamis—remember the 2004 Sumatra event that killed 226,000 people worldwide.
Rebuilding the Hooked Places
A spokesperson for the national disaster mitigation agency announced that body searches would wrap up next Thursday. Debris will be cleared and liquefaction‑hit sites will be repurposed into parks, sports venues, and other public spaces. After all, nothing says “move forward” like rolling rubble into a soccer field! Only a little bit of hope and resilience can keep a community moving on after a natural calamity.
