Royyan – Ramah and his friends built a boat to accommodate their friends and families as a preventive measure when the floods arrived.
Over the past four months, I have been actively engaged in activities with the children in Tondomulyo. As we embarked on this journey in early January, I introduced a collection of storybooks from the Peace Place Pati Library/Joglo Library to our sessions. The children received these books with great enthusiasm and interest. I initiated the transition into our activities by reading the storybooks to them.
Upon completing the reading of each book, I encouraged the children to partake in discussions where they shared their observations and insights from the stories. In one particular instance, the book narrated the plight of a village devastated by a severe flood resulting from the river’s overflow. The floodwaters swept away their possessions, and tragically, some villagers lost their family members. This story served as a powerful catalyst, enabling the children to draw parallels with the natural phenomena occurring in their surroundings.
It is important to highlight that Tondomulyo itself is one of the villages highly susceptible to flooding, with annual occurrences primarily caused by the Juwana River’s overflow, which flows in close proximity to the village. Tondomulyo is situated along the Silugonggo River, which cannot handle the water release when the Wilalung Kudus dam is opened, as a result of heavy rains. This leads to flooding. This is made worse by the loss of water-holding perennials and the deforestation of the nearby mountains.
During our free play activities, the children demonstrated their creativity and problem-solving skills by constructing boats using straws. One of the children, Royyan, remarked, “This is a boat that we made to prepare for the rainy season, because our village will definitely be flooded.” Another child, Naufal, added, “If the river overflows, the village will be flooded. This boat can accommodate all my family members, so that my father, mother, and I will be safe.” Naufal further explained, “In the storybook, the villagers were not prepared with boats, which led to them being washed away by the flood. We will be ready before the flood arrives.”
These activities engaged the children in a meaningful way and instilled in them a sense of awareness and preparedness for the natural challenges their village faces. Through storytelling and creative projects, we fostered a learning environment that encouraged critical thinking, empathy, and proactive problem-solving.
First graders reading a book from Joglo Library – Peace Place Pati as a transitional activity before the Power Of Goodness activity begins.
First graders are reading books and sharing with each other about the books they have read.