February 17th, 2025, East Nusa Tenggara – Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES), in collaboration with the Indonesian Planned Parenthood Association (PKBI), conducted a capacity-building program for survivors of the Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki eruption in East Nusa Tenggara. The five-day event aimed to strengthen community resilience and improve public service quality in the fields of education and health in the aftermath of the disaster.
On the first day, Dr. Evi Widowati, S.KM., M.Kes emphasized the importance of establishing Disaster-Resilient Villages (Desa Tangguh Bencana – DESTANA), an initiative designed to equip villages with the knowledge and tools to cope with potential disasters. Meanwhile, Efa Nugroho, S.KM., M.Kes introduced the concept of Sister Villages (Desa Bersaudara), aimed at fostering solidarity between villages also enhancing the capacity of community and local stakeholder in disaster management.
On the following day, Evi delivered a session on Disaster-Resilient Schools for the Department of Education, school principals, and teachers, with the goal of improving disaster preparedness in schools and ensuring safe learning environments for students. At the same time, Efa provided training on the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for Reproductive Health, targeting the Department of Health, community health centers, and village midwives, to ensure optimal healthcare services for affected communities.
In addition to the community empowerment, the delegation took time to conduct field observations. They visited the refugee tents to assess the health and living conditions of the evacuees and toured the affected villages to observe the current state of residents’ homes. The team also visited the Lewotobi volcano monitoring post after the volcano’s status was upgraded to “Alert” (Fourth Level). This visit was crucial for monitoring the latest developments and preparing for any potential escalation.
The initiative received a positive response from the local community. With the collaboration between UNNES and IPPA, it is hoped that the people of East Nusa Tenggara will be better equipped and more resilient in facing future disasters, while rebuilding their lives in a more sustainable and informed manner.
