Activities at Islamic Boarding School Hampered by Flood, Students Face Clean Water and Logistics Crisis

BINTI ZAINAB (30802300029)

Heavy rain that poured over the East Semarang region and its surroundings from the end of October to the beginning of November has caused flooding in a number of areas, including inundating the area of an Islamic boarding school (Pondok Pesantren) in the Kaligawe district. The standing water, which has not receded for 2 weeks, has paralyzed several teaching and learning activities and has also made it difficult for students and school management to fulfill daily logistical needs.

As a result of the flood, teaching and learning activities (KBM) were forced to be completely suspended for the time being. Many students ultimately chose to return home to avoid the flooding. However, for the students and management who chose to stay, they are now faced with challenges in meeting basic needs, especially regarding the availability of clean water and fuel for cooking.

The school's communal kitchen management also admits that the situation has a significant impact on daily operations. Ibu Mi, the school's cook, stated that although the stock of staple food ingredients can still be managed, there are other urgent difficulties.

"The stock of food remains as usual during the flood conditions here," she said. "Because Waru Market (and) some nearby snack shops are still operating. We can still walk to buy things there."

She added, "However, during the flood, we use a box to hold the food so it doesn't get wet."

Nevertheless, Ibu Mi highlighted that the main problems currently are drinking water and adjusting meal portions. "It is difficult to find drinking water because the nearest stalls are not operating, so cooking is quite challenging. Plus, there is no transportation and it is also difficult to find Elpiji gas for cooking," she complained.

"And regarding shopping, I buy cooking ingredients for several days at once, looking for vegetables that are more durable," she added. "In terms of cooking, the meals are also reduced because some students have returned to their hometowns."

These difficulties were also confirmed by a representative of the students who stayed behind. According to them, the biggest issues are the clean water crisis and the disrupted learning process.

"The difficulty during this flood is that we struggle to find water because the pump is submerged, so we have to borrow or ask for water from nearby neighbors whose water pumps are not flooded," revealed a student representative.

The students also have to adapt to the soaking conditions. "Yes, regarding clothing, we have to change when returning to the school because they are wet and dirty," he concluded.