Profiles

Providing Vital News After Indonesia’s Earthquake

Ayank Lubis hosts a daily radio show for Javanese earthquake victims, many of whom still live in plastic tents. Photo: Internews Indonesia

For many earthquake victims in Yogyakarta on the populous Indonesian island of Java, the voice of radio presenter Ayank Lubis over the airwaves marks the start of a new day.

“Good morning Yogya. This is Radio Punokawan, your friend when you’re sad and happy," says Ayank in her signature greeting each morning at seven sharp when she introduces her Suara Warga (Voice of the People) program.

“I feel I have something to contribute to help alleviate the suffering of the earthquake victims," she says. “In the meantime, I’m also learning about humanitarian issues working in Radio Punokawan. We can make a difference in the lives of the earthquake victims, and that keeps me going every day despite the long working hours.”

A magnitude 6.2 quake struck Yogyakarta, about 400 kilometres east of Jakarta, in the early hours of May 27, 2006, killing over 5,000 people and making hundreds of thousands homeless. This was Indonesia’s worst disaster since the December 2004 tsunami where at least 131,000 people in the northern province of Aceh were killed.

Soon after the earthquake, in order to get emergency relief and reconstruction information to those affected, Internews launched a project to aid the media to recover and to promote the dissemination of vital information dissemination to survivors, with the support of the US Agency for International Development and the Hewlett Foundation.

Besides helping community radio stations rebuild, the Internews project also established an emergency AM radio broadcaster called Punokawan AM. Punokawan refers to a jester-advisor to the kings in ancient Yogyakarta folklore, a symbol of wisdom.

“The dissemination of humanitarian information to the earthquake victims is fastest through radio and community participation," says Ayank. Her two-hour Suara Warga program receives about 20 phone calls and SMS messages every morning.

"We strive to make our programs attractive and we give our listeners news and information that they would not otherwise have," she says.

Adds Ayank, “There is an enormous thirst for information among the earthquake victims, many of whom are still living in simple plastic tents and are desperate to receive aid to rebuild their lives.”