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30 September 2003 by Aswi Nugroho of the Indonesian Red Cross Three months ago Dadi Kusmayadi fell in love and for the first time in his life, entertained thoughts of marriage. Maybe it was time to settle down and stop being a Red Cross volunteer, he told his team commander. But that did not stop him from continuing to be a permanent feature at Bogor branch on the Indonesian island of Java. Appreciated for his cooking, humour and fearlessness, Dadi, 32, had saved many lives in his 14 years of work with the Palang Merah Indonesia (PMI - Indonesian Red Cross). On Friday 26 September, while searching for the bodies of four sand miners killed in a landslide six days earlier, Dadi’s passion for helping others cost him his own life. Dadi, who was unemployed, spent his days at the Red Cross office on alert. As a member of Satgana, a special emergency response team with highly trained volunteers who play a central role in disasters such as the Bali bombing, he could be relied on in any emergency, says his team commander, Abidin, who, like many Indonesians, has one name. Bogor is prone to floods and landslides, and last year, Dadi spent 30 days helping people affected by disaster. “Dadi was always ready to help other people,” says Abidin. “He followed all my instructions to the letter, immediately.” His dream was to be the first person nominated by the Bogor branch to serve on a Satgana team in Aceh province, a conflict area. He was calm in the face of danger. “Why should we be afraid of death?” Dadi told Abidin and the other volunteers. “It could happen any time, anywhere. So why worry.” During disasters, Dadi was a cook - known for his rendang curries, sayur asam (vegetable soup) and careful budgeting. His colleagues called him “Bulldog” because of his uncanny ability to recover buried bodies. They loved him for his humour and stubbornness. He paid careful attention to his appearance and had recently grown his hair long. For past 10 years the Bogor branch had wanted to recruit Dadi as a paid staff member. Dadi turned the offer down. “Whether I’m a volunteer or a staff member it’s the same – what I’m going to do is to help people,” said Dadi, one of 11 children in a close-knit family. So when the volunteer got the news that miners were injured by a landslide in Bogor on Sunday, September 20, he did not hesitate, even though he was on a Muslim “white fast,” during which he ate only rice. That day he and the others in his Red Cross team of six assessed the site. Then they and police worked from 7am to 6pm every day, to find the bodies. Dadi’s brother, Doni Iskandar, 28, joined the Red Cross in 1995. He had not been part of the six-person rescue team at the mine. But on Friday he joined the effort. That day he witnessed his older brother’s death. Dadi was standing at the base of crane, directing its driver to a place where he believed a body was buried. The team of six Satgana volunteers heard rocks falling and the volunteers jumped to safety. Abidin realized a man was missing. It was Dadi. He had died instantly after being struck by a rock. He was buried that night, after a funeral ceremony at Red Cross Hospital in Bogor. Bogor has lost one of it most passionate and experienced volunteers. Indonesian Red Cross Secretary-General Iyand Sukandar said the PMI would conduct an evaluation to see if the organization should change safety procedures for responding to disasters. The PMI had to protect its 16,000 volunteers, the backbone of the organization, he said. “We look to Dadi as one of our heroes for the volunteers of Indonesia. I hope we will be able to continue working, inspired by his commitment and spirit.” In the Federation’s letter of condolence to the PMI, Simon Missiri, Head of the Asia/Pacific department in Geneva, said: “Dadi was a fine young man, truly dedicated to the humanitarian ideal and a committed, long-standing PMI volunteer. The fact that he lost his life seeking to save others makes his passing all the more poignant. Such individuals are rare - and their memories and contribution to our great Movement are to be treasured.” Related links: Indonesia: appeals and reports Volunteering |
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