KOMPAS IMAGES / Kristianto Purnomo cold lava flow in Kali White, Magelang regency, Central Java. MAGELANG, KOMPAS.com - Whatever happens, the wheel of life goes on. Thus, one group of cold lava flood victims, residents Sirahan Hamlet, Village Sirahan, District Salam, Magelang regency, Central Java, showed no enthusiasm to continue to decline into misery. They again went to live with the farmers changed their profession from a brick maker.
Sirahan Hamlet is one of the flood-affected hamlets cold lava Kali White. A result of flooding that occurred from January 2011 up to now, 11 houses washed away, one half of the building houses washed away, and two houses were damaged more than 90 percent.
The flow of previous sand is so terrible because it struck the hamlet along the rocks and water, now turned into a source of livelihood. From the mound of sand on the roads as high as 0.5 meters up to one meter this is, in the last week, Village residents are able to make 2000 bricks Sirahan.
According to Heri Wahyudi (46), one of the characters in Hamlet Sirahan youth, for the moment the whole production of bricks will be purchased for the needs of the construction of 20 units of permanent housing by the Ministry of Public Works in the project Community-Based Rehabilitation and Resettlement (REKOMPAK) - Java Reconstruction Fund ( JRF) to society slopes of Mount Merapi. Once the project is finished, they were determined to continue to develop marketing and looking for new customers.
"Once agricultural land and irrigation channels damaged, hit by cold lava flood, we will strive for this brick-making industry can be a permanent livelihood for residents Sirahan Hamlet," said Heri.
Concrete blocks are produced by residents of this hamlet Sirahan sold at Rp 1,800 - Rp 1,900 per piece. Every person who makes bricks earn Rp 400 per piece, and Rp 100 per piece sold, stored for cash hamlet, to the needs of business development.
Currently, citizens of Hamlet Sirahan involved in the manufacture of concrete blocks numbered 22 people. After the rain subsided and the intensity of cold lava flood threatens not to return, then these 22 people will move about 300 other residents who were still displaced in Place Evacuation End (TPA) Cape to get involved to make bricks.
Tri Cahyono (52) who was familiarly called Tom, one of Hamlet Sirahan citizen, argued that efforts to rise from the sorrow caused this disaster requires a long process and not easy. Residents shocked because before this cold lahar disaster, they are shocked because of all the plants in farm crop failure, due to volcanic ash covered with a thickness of more than 10 centimeters.
"Recently we re-start plant activities pascaerupsi cereals, agricultural land was suddenly hit by cold lava flood. We feel truly unfortunate, like a falling ladder had fallen too," he said.
Slumped
Because that's the feeling worse, people finally just resigned to living in Cape landfill. For two months more, they also experienced stress, worry and confusion, what should be done to continue living because of damaged homes, and agricultural land can not be processed because of submerged sand and broken irrigation lines.
"During the first two months in Cape landfill, many people, including me, can not sleep well and continues to regret the fate," said Tom. Tom is one of the residents where the house following his property, the flood swept away.
Saturated with that, a month ago, residents Sirahan Hamlet finally get together, hold meetings, discuss what steps should be done to back up and not continually rely on donations and assistance from other parties. At that time, considering the abundant potential of sand in the hamlet, Hamlet Sirahan five residents who have previously worked in brick-making industry, immediately sparked the idea to make bricks.
The proposal was welcomed because after calculations, selling blocks far more profitable than simply selling sand. One truck loaded with five cubic meters of sand to six cubic meters sold only Rp 130,000 to Rp 150,000, while if processed into blocks, a sand truck and can produce 1000 bricks with a total value of sales reached nearly $ 2 million.
With the help of a number of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), citizens Sirahan Hamlet eventually gets donated five mold bricks and paving. Paving brick making techniques and is taught by five citizens with experience in brick industry.
"Today, while continuing to learn, we also produce to serve directly as well as consumer demand," Tom.
Not only raise their income, over time, activity is slowly making these blocks reduces the trauma to residents about the dangers of cold lava flood.
In the past, when there is cold lava flood of information in any river, a resident of Hamlet Sirahan, especially those who are still on guard at home and not live in refugee camps, always panic. The opposite is happening now, where when there is cold lava flood of information, people first check if flooding occurs in Kali White and whether the height of floods in the upper two meters or not.
"If the cold lava flood is still under two feet, residents usually stay calm, and return to continue to make bricks," said Taryono (43), one of the residents.
Not only that, cold lava floods also had a positive impact to make citizens of the Village Sirahan consisting of eight hamlets, becoming more compact. By forming the Community Sirahan Risen, in addition to the activities to make bricks, they are now jointly monitor disaster cold lava independently by using the handy talkie, and disseminate such information to the entire village.
Of disaster, they also reap wisdom.
