Lending a Hand in Lombok
Sep 20, 2018
Last August, the devastating earthquake in Lombok had left many homes destroyed and locals stranded without basic necessities. When Nexus teacher Ms Rebecca Myhre was scheduled to go for a diving trip to Lombok, she chose to help out instead.
“Last summer, I made two friends when I was diving in Indonesia. I knew they had a lot of trauma with the earthquake and had been looking for help. So I decided to go and see if I could help while I was in Tanjung - North Lombok.”
The days spent in Tanjung was difficult for Ms Myhre. The once-beautiful island in Lombok is now filled with piles of rubble. Since many homes and buildings were damaged by the earthquake, many people are living in camps or temporary shelters made out of wood. It also destroyed many schools, which made it impossible for children to return to class.
During the four-day trip, she joined other volunteers to deliver food to two badly-affected villages. They managed to deliver 125 kilos of rice, 6 boxes of noodles and 10 boxes of water. Tempeh, cabbage, kailan and other vegetables were also sent their way.
Since many survivors were sick due to poor sanitation and unsafe water, paracetamol pills and hydration sachets were distributed too. “There was one kid who was hugging the paracetamol. He was so excited that we bought him medicine. It was emotional, but it felt good to be helping.”
Realising that more can be done to help the earthquake survivors, Ms Myhre organised a fundraising campaign among the Nexus staff. Together, they managed to raise RM1,700 to buy basic food and medicine for the earthquake survivors.
In class, she also shared this experience with her learners to emphasise the value of empathy. “It is important for learners to think of others. So we try to build this into what we’re doing in the classroom,” she shared. Recently, she encouraged her learners to give kind messages to each other. Through this practice, it helped children to think about the effect they can have on other people in terms of positivity. “Being in Lombok was emotional for me, but it was also important to stay positive and help others to feel positive.”
Part of the Nexus Way includes being a global citizen and having an international mindset. For Ms Myhre, it was more than just being aware of what’s happening around the world. “For me, it’s thinking about how you can help other people and do it when you can. I’m not saying people should stop working to go and help. If you can help, why not do what you can?”
Ms Myhre also believes that anything is possible if learners are keen to help others. In fact, she reached out for help through social media. “I used social media to share messages, but it was also the best way to find out the people who needed help the most,” she said. “It feels great to make a difference or a change. Even though it was challenging, it had been incredibly rewarding.”
Photo Credit: Matthew Aslett
“Last summer, I made two friends when I was diving in Indonesia. I knew they had a lot of trauma with the earthquake and had been looking for help. So I decided to go and see if I could help while I was in Tanjung - North Lombok.”
The days spent in Tanjung was difficult for Ms Myhre. The once-beautiful island in Lombok is now filled with piles of rubble. Since many homes and buildings were damaged by the earthquake, many people are living in camps or temporary shelters made out of wood. It also destroyed many schools, which made it impossible for children to return to class.
During the four-day trip, she joined other volunteers to deliver food to two badly-affected villages. They managed to deliver 125 kilos of rice, 6 boxes of noodles and 10 boxes of water. Tempeh, cabbage, kailan and other vegetables were also sent their way.
Since many survivors were sick due to poor sanitation and unsafe water, paracetamol pills and hydration sachets were distributed too. “There was one kid who was hugging the paracetamol. He was so excited that we bought him medicine. It was emotional, but it felt good to be helping.”
Realising that more can be done to help the earthquake survivors, Ms Myhre organised a fundraising campaign among the Nexus staff. Together, they managed to raise RM1,700 to buy basic food and medicine for the earthquake survivors.
In class, she also shared this experience with her learners to emphasise the value of empathy. “It is important for learners to think of others. So we try to build this into what we’re doing in the classroom,” she shared. Recently, she encouraged her learners to give kind messages to each other. Through this practice, it helped children to think about the effect they can have on other people in terms of positivity. “Being in Lombok was emotional for me, but it was also important to stay positive and help others to feel positive.”
Part of the Nexus Way includes being a global citizen and having an international mindset. For Ms Myhre, it was more than just being aware of what’s happening around the world. “For me, it’s thinking about how you can help other people and do it when you can. I’m not saying people should stop working to go and help. If you can help, why not do what you can?”
Ms Myhre also believes that anything is possible if learners are keen to help others. In fact, she reached out for help through social media. “I used social media to share messages, but it was also the best way to find out the people who needed help the most,” she said. “It feels great to make a difference or a change. Even though it was challenging, it had been incredibly rewarding.”
Photo Credit: Matthew Aslett
