On 28 September 2018, a large earthquake hit Palu, Sigi and Donggala (PASIGALA) Central Sulawesi. It caused a derivative disaster including tsunami, liquefaction and landslide led numerous casualties and significant economic damage. Accounted for 4,340 fatalities were reported and thousands of people lost their jobs and livelihood resources, infrastructures, water and sanitation resources. After a year from disaster, JMK-Oxfam initiated a community resilience strengthening in 13 villages among 33 JMK Oxfam assisted villages. This is called inclusive disaster resilient village or destana inklusi (Desa Tangguh Bencana Inklusi).
Destana is a village that has a self-reliant ability to adapt to the threat of disaster and recover immediately from adverse catastrophic impacts. This is an approach of community-based disaster management (CBDM) that fully involves community in village level, so the village will take the ownership. Furthermore, along with BNPB Regulation no 13 and 14 of 2014 related to gender mainstream, participation and people disability empowerment in disaster management, JMK-Oxfam adapt this destana to be more inclusive, destana inklusi.
“What make Destana Inklusi is the involvement of vulnerable people. Commonly, destana only involve people who considered resilient and neglect other vulnerable groups such as elderly, disability, women, expectant mothers, etc., This population is rarely included in determining evacuation waypoints when we determining vulnerability in the village” said Nining Rahayu as Senior Officer of GEDSI JMK Oxfam sector
As part of this Destana Inklusi initiation JMK-Oxfam held TOT (Training of Trainer) involving 13 villages in PASIGALA. The facilitators will be expected to serve as facilitators who can train the community in their village. These thirteen-village will be models of Destana Inklusi that built with the principles of inclusion DRR. This principle is prioritizing what vulnerable groups needs and their participation.
“Sometimes we unintentionally exclude people with disabilities in the development process such as construction of infrastructure. We do not aware how this make the building in inaccessible. For example where there is no inclined plane built, only people who can walk can access this building while it will be extremely difficult for people with mobility impairment. Imagine when disaster occur! “added Nining Rahayu.
Saiful, a representative of the village head of Toaya Vunta who participated in the TOT fully support this initiative. “Hand in hand, together, we could revive to build our village which was devastated after the earthquake of September 2018 ago. Also, we learned how important involvement of every person to minimize the risk of disasters and being a resilient village“- Said Saiful.