From Helping Others to Helping Myself

Photo taken @Merese Hill during my recent trip to Lombok - August 2018

The Prophet Muhammad (salallahu alaihi wa sallam) said,

“Whoever relieves a believer of a hardship from the hardships of this world, then Allah will relieve him of a hardship from the hardships of the Day of Resurrection… Allah is helping the servant as long as the servant is helping his brother,” (Hadith Tirmidhi/ Muslim)

Changing the world starts with every person doing one small thing. And in the process, you help your own soul, and you bring happiness to your own heart, and you get the blessings and barakah of Allah. What a deal!

I have just returned from Lombok. It's a place I have visited many times before and very dear to me. I first travelled there in my late twenties, an experience that shaped my future. The people I met touched my heart, they were kind, proud, hardworking people. I had tried to prepare myself beforehand for what I might see but the enormity of the devastation was overwhelming. The place I hold dear to my heart had been brought to it's knees.

As I am sure you are aware, Lombok was hit recently by two substantial earthquakes. Unusually, the second was not a smaller 'aftershock' but considerably more powerful than the first. North Lombok has been all but completely destroyed and families have been relocated to improvised refugee camps. Electricity has gone dead in parts of the island, clean drinking water has been difficult to access, and local residents have been afraid to go inside structures, fearful that they would collapse.

At the time of writing, West Nusa Tenggara is still suffering aftershocks from the major quakes; about more than thousand aftershocks. For many local families and businesses events continue to unfold. About 70% of the resorts here have been damaged, many homes in the centre of the island need rebuilding. People are in the state of trauma, with many in serious state of fear and stress. The busy streets are deserted, small and large businesses all closed down. The whole disaster has caused a serious damage to the already struggling economy of the island. And the ones who are hit the worst are (always) the most marginalised; the poorest of the poor people.The people who earn their living on a daily wage basis, the ones who already had very little, now are left with nothing. It seems likely that it's going to get worse before it gets better and that recovery is going to be a long haul not a quick fix.

When I and my good friend AnepzAli (founder of Kampong Traveller) were approaching Bayan (towards the North Lombok), we could easily see the effect; the hills were covered with orange or blue patches, tarpaulin which people are using as temporary shelter. The situation is panicking as aftershocks are still active. We could see fear in the people's face when they feel the aftershock, escaping out of their vulnerable habitat. Their houses are still standing, but just barely, and they haven't changed their clothes since the earthquake. There's a little bit of clothing and food inside the house, but they won't go inside for fear another tremor will knock it down. In a normal situation, being out in the field at night means being exposed to bugs. Sitting on the grass means getting itchy and being surrounded by more than a hundred strangers means having no privacy. At that time, it meant being safe from falling bricks, roof tiles and coconuts, having a place to think, rest and feel the comfort of not being alone. We weren't prepared for the poverty we saw, and that really made an impact. Yet everybody we met was extremely welcoming and happy to meet us.They would help us in any way they could. 

I listen to families stories of the day of the earthquake hit, of where they were, of their houses collapsing around them, of injuries and their terror. Grown men wept as they recalled what their families had been through. Because of their remote, rural location emergency aid couldn't reach them for days. They had no food, too terrified to return to their homes which were now just piles of rubble. After more than a month they experienced relentless aftershocks. Many of the adults I spoke to found it difficult to think about the future. There was real sense of hopelessness.

Early August, both myself and AnepzAli had each undertaken a last-minute donation drive in various ways and we each went over with 70 kilograms of luggage, clothing that was donated, along with shoes, blankets. We were totally independent; no attachment to an official organisation, so all our money went directly to the victims. It is said that giving is always satisfying but when you have Iimited things to offer, generosity counts highly.

            

      

All in all, it was an immensely fulfilling trip, although I'm exhausted and ready to drop, I'm happy that I could do my bit to support fellow humans in need. Clearly the experience in Lombok was a life changing for anybody who was there, myself included, but our effort could not have been possible without the tremendous support and donations provided from all of those back in Malaysia and abroad. Speaking for myself, I clearly benefited more than I gave from the whole experience, and feel privileged to be able to contribute. I think most who were there would say the same. We came to know how ruthless nature could be and how fearful and helpless life can get.

I know it's cliche, but this trip changed my life.

Today; September 7th, I reflect on the many blessings that I have and find myself extremely grateful for a family who always loves me, friends who always support me, and a home that I can call my own. I have always counted down to this date and have always been SUPER uncomfortable with receiving gifts. I prefer to do something with friends and family rather than receive presents. There is something powerful about giving something. There is something even more powerful about doing something small that can result in something big. In lieu of this, I'd like to ask if you would consider to help donate any items that might be useful for my friends in Lombok so that they (and others) may find the same blessings that I have. 

I welcome any type of donations and nothing would make me happier on this special occasion. InsyaAllah, I am planning to go there again end of the month/ early October to help provide more items and get basic necessities for the victims that might be useful at this point of time. Again, thank you so much for the love and care. It means the world to me.