The lofty aspirations keep Riyan, Salwa, and Zahra motivated, even though they have to move from one learning space to another. For a year after the 2022 Cianjur earthquake, they studied in tents and gazebos while waiting for the school building to be renovated.
They are students at one of the junior high schools in Cianjur, West Java. The Cianjur earthquake on November 21, 2022, resulted in the damage of the school building and its supporting facilities.
Riyan, Salwa, and Zahra shared their experiences during the earthquake. At that time, they were at school, attending their respective subjects. The earthquake damaged several classrooms in their school. Consequently, they had to study in tents for several weeks. These temporary learning tents were provided with the support of Save the Children.
However, one day, there was a stormy rain that damaged the tents. As a result, they had to use another emergency tent made of bamboo before eventually moving to a wooden gazebo.
Save the Children assisted in restoring the lives of earthquake-affected children in Cianjur, including Riyan, Salwa, and Zahra, by providing temporary learning spaces in the form of tents and gazebos for several junior high schools. With this assistance, the children and teachers could continue the teaching and learning process in emergency conditions.
Nanang, the head of the junior high school where they studied, said that this assistance was very beneficial. She mentioned that the gazebo not only made learning more comfortable for the children, but was also utilized as a teacher’s space and a place for extracurricular activities. Zahra mentioned that the gazebo was also used for the celebration of the Student Leadership Basic Training organized by the student organization.
“Sometimes, if there are extracurricular activities, we also conduct them in the gazebo. I saw the choir club practicing in the gazebo, and other clubs also used the gazebo when school ended. The student council meetings were also held there,” explained Nanang.
Riyan, Salwa, and Zahra admitted that the experience of moving to emergency learning at a makeshift school was meaningful for them. Upon returning to school, they were very happy because they could learn more productively and meet their friends more often.
“Happy. Perhaps what encouraged us to study in such conditions was because, before that, during the earthquake, the school was temporarily closed. So, when the school resumed, I was happy to meet my friends again. What really motivates us is our friends,” said Riyan.
Their enthusiasm to reach their aspirations and focus on their future is one of the main reasons motivating them to continue learning.