Locals Reach out to Indonesia Volcano Victims

Last October, Indonesia's Mt. Merapi erupted and then continued to erupt in the days following, spewing lava and causing a rainstorm of volcanic rock and ash to bury the surrounding area and its villagers for miles around. 

The fertile slopes of Mt. Merapi on the island of Java house several farms, and although local residents were evacuated into temporary government housing, the resulting fatalities and injuries that the volcano caused led to global organizations lending immediate aid.

Some of that assistance came from right here in Prince William County as Ruth Anderson, wife of 51st District Del. Rich Anderson, led a team of five volunteers, including Richard and Montine Wewerka, Francoise Bissai, and Mary Cook all from Prince William County. Local churches Lake Ridge Baptist, First Baptist of Woodbridge, and Woodbridge Christian Church participated in assisting the effort.

"The churches have a partnership with an area in Indonesia, and they asked if we could help," Ruth Anderson said, having returned recently from Mt. Merapi. "When we got there, over 60,ooo residents had been evacuated to a soccer stadium. When we left, about 6,000 residents were left in the stadium."

The team assisted with medical and hygiene care as well as overall emotional support in several of the refugee centers, distributed rice, and brought basic first aid medical supplies. 

"The volcano covered up entire villages; other areas saw a layer of six to eight inches of volcanic ash covering everything up. Some areas were not affected at all," Anderson said.

Anderson's team also made a point to clear a way for fresh water to be available to residents by providing the resources for locals to make three water wells within the community as well as a basic bathing facility by a natural spring.

"The entire area we were assisting lost access to water," Anderson said, adding that the one-man bathing facility the team assisted with was the mark they left, constructed out of cement block tiles with a simple platform and stairs leading to a bathing area right by the spring.

"There's still a long way to go," Anderson said. "Some areas are so devastated that people can never go back to their lost homes."