The FT-UH Student Organization Helps Mitigate the Impact of the Disaster in Masamba
Students from the Faculty of Engineering (FT) at Hasanuddin University, who are members of several student organizations, are taking part in a humanitarian effort to assist communities affected by the natural disaster in Masamba, North Luwu Regency. The volunteer team has been on site since Friday (July 17).
The flash flood disaster in Masamba has caused casualties and significant losses among the local community. The extent of the damage and the number of victims have spurred a spirit of solidarity among various segments of society across different regions.
The Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Alumni, and Partnerships at FT-UH, Ir. Mukti Ali, ST., MT., Ph.D., stated that the volunteer team from FT-UH student organizations is working alongside other community members to alleviate the burden on residents in the disaster-stricken area.
“The FT-UH volunteer team that departed for the site consists of several department-level student organizations—including the Geology, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Mining, Naval Architecture, and Marine Engineering Student Associations—as well as the FT-UH Student Nature Lovers Club 09 (Mapala 09). The first team has been on site since Friday. Other teams will follow shortly,” explained Mukti.
Each of these student organizations sent their volunteer teams to the disaster site to provide assistance and directly help the community clean up the flooded area.
In addition to sending volunteer teams, the FT-UH Student Organizations also distributed logistical aid in the form of clothing, food, medicine, used clothing, and other necessities. The volunteer teams are scheduled to remain on-site as conditions on the ground dictate.
“We appreciate the humanitarian spirit of our students. In a message, the Faculty leadership urged everyone to remain vigilant about environmental conditions and to adhere to health protocols to protect against the spread of COVID-19,” Mukti added.
In addition to humanitarian aid, Mukti noted that they will conduct studies on disaster mitigation efforts to prevent similar incidents in the future.