Travelfish newsletter Issue 379 : No travel? Make a difference anyway + Travelfish reader survey 2020!
Hi everyone,
I’m straying from our regular programming a bit this week as I can’t think of anything except the humanitarian disaster slowly unfolding in Indonesia. Back to more travelish stuff next week. Thanks for your patience.
Just a month or so I remember making a joke about quarantine: “How bad could it be?” I joked, “That’s close to my normal state.”
The joke could not have aged worse.
Southeast Asia (and the planet for that matter) is facing a disaster of epic proportions. Nowhere is it looking more scary than in my home of over a decade, Indonesia.
Practising isolation by Lake Toba. Photo: Stuart McDonald
The death toll here is 49. As of yesterday afternoon, six or seven doctors and nurses in the country had died as a result of covid-19. Medical staff are reportedly working in high-risk areas with little of the protective gear they need. Think disposable raincoats or “ICU suits” made by a local tailor, with the correct type of masks in short supply and sometimes sterilised for reuse.
As of today, Indonesia has the highest death rate due to covid-19 in the world. In part this is due to a low number of tests done so far (in itself, a disaster). The state of the health system and the conditions staff are working under don’t help. At all.
You may have seen photos of exhausted medical staff in Italy, Spain and China. Social media here is likewise awash with photos of young nurses and doctors giving the thumbs up. Such bravery and spirit in the most adverse of situations. Brings me to tears.
This is happening in a country whose top 10 billionaires have a combined wealth of almost US$90 billion. Oh, and also, politicians and their immediate families get priority covid-19 testing. Rage and tears in equal measure right now.
Individual Indonesians are picking up the plentiful slack left by their government’s ineptness by either creating their own supply runs or supporting organisations doing the same.
This is where you come in.
If you’re on this newsletter list, chances are, you’re into travel. Unfortunately, today travel is trekking from the bedroom to the sofa. Adventure travel might take you to the local minimart.
If you’re anything like me, watching the world shut down is depressing enough. Then there is the feeling of helplessness, confined to your home (I’m in quarantine) and not being able to do anything. Distressing and frustrating.
I love Indonesia and the Indonesian people but I don’t happen to have a stockpile of masks or a spare ventilator in the store room. Yesterday I spent the day in a funk watching the place unravel on social media. What could I do?
This morning, I realised the most effective thing I could do to help might be to write this newsletter. I’ve asked around for contacts to local organisations and have listed some of them below. This is Indonesian heavy, as this is where we live, but also because I think it is the most in need.
If you’re supporting other organisations, please feel free to pass on their details. I’ll list them in the newsletter next week.
PS: Please don’t forget the Travelfish reader survey—657 entries and counting! Entries close March 31.
Many thanks,
Stuart
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Support organisations working in Indonesia
One important note, I am not deeply familiar with some of the groups I’m listing below, but many have been suggested by people I trust. Please give the various contacts a careful read over and decide which (if any!) makes sense for you. Yes I know many of the sites are in Indonesian, but Google Translate is your friend.
Also, the biggest challenge is not so much lack of funds, but rather lack of goods—so masks, protective suits and so on. So if you happen to have a sideline in masks or ICU suits, that would be far more useful than sending some cash. Please contact the organisation directly if this is the case.
Last but not least, if you make a donation, OF ANY AMOUNT, please send me proof of the donation and your member name and I’ll give you an extra year of Travelfish membership (hey it will probably a year before you can use it right!), or if you’re not a member, I’ll give you a year’s membership for free.
That’s right, donate a buck (though I recommend more of course!) and you get a year of Travelfish membership for free.
So here are the orgs—like I said, please do your own research to decide which is the best fit for you. Some of these will be difficult to donate to if you are outside of Indonesia. Sorry!
Kitabisa
This is an Indonesian crowdfunding website. Think GoFundMe, but Indonesian focused. Not all the projects are focused on Indonesian hospitals, but some are. This is a good example, another, another, another and yet another, but there are plenty more listed. This is also a site that accepts credit cards rather than bank transfers. Bonus!
Others which were recommended that might appeal if you are in Indonesia (or are Indonesian!) and can make a bank transfer, include:
Dr Soetomo Hospital in Surabaya
I was contacted by a third year medical student in Surabaya, who explained their seniors are gathering donations (both cash and supplies) for Dr Soetomo Hospital in Surabaya. This is one of those ones that is difficult to donate to unless you are in Indonesia, but if you are, this post on Twitter has the details.
Indonesia Disaster Awareness Movement Foundation
Another one that falls under into the “difficult to donate to if overseas” file, is the Indonesia Disaster Awareness Movement Foundation which is running a fundraiser to support families whose breadwinners have been hospitalised. This one is on Instagram, here.
Kopernik
If you’d prefer a more widely focused organisation, Kopernik is extremely well regarded, does excellent work, and (yay!) is easy to donate to.
StopCovId
The site maps healthcare equipment needs right across the country. If you’re the one with a basement full on ventilators, this is the site for you.
One more thing, the Jakarta Post also lists a few organisations (including some of the above).
Thank you so much.
Stuart
Ten things worth reading
Play it again $ (from 2015)
“But it was the music that really made waves. From the late 1950s on, Cambodian artists, guided by the musical tastes of their king, discovered new sounds from the West and made them their own.”
Claims of a Coronavirus-Free Laos Are Probably Fiction $
“I’m worried there’s a hidden epidemic,” said one doctor from Luang Prabang—a UNESCO World Heritage Site visited by 655,000 tourists in 2018, about one-quarter of them Chinese. “Provincial hospitals do not have equipment to test people and they might only refer the worst cases to laboratories in Vientiane.”
Vietnam considers wildlife trade ban in response to coronavirus pandemic
“The illegal trade involves high-value species like tigers, rhinos and elephants, while most smaller species are unregulated. The supply is a mix of wild-caught animals, such as pangolins and leopard cats, and animals raised on farms, such as civets and moon bears.”
Cambodia halts mainstream Mekong River dam plans for 10 years
“Victor Jona, director general of energy at Cambodia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy, told Reuters the government was following a study done by a Japanese consultant that recommended Cambodia seeks energy elsewhere.”
Cambodian Muslims Face Discrimination as Virus Cases Rise $
“In Phnom Penh’s Prek Pra commune, on a usual day, Ar Siyas’ table full of chopped chicken pieces would be quickly sold out, but after Covid-19 cases were connected to the Islamic gathering in Malaysia, the 33-year-old Cham vendor says customers dropped within a few days.”
The founding father
“With these developments so recently in the background, questions were already being asked about the longevity of Lee Kuan Yew’s legacy at the time of his death and yet the public response to his death showed that it was just the government’s brand that had been trashed by incompetence, not his.”
Critics push back as cable car project for Indonesia’s Rinjani is revived
“Murdani said the cable car project, by enabling more people to visit the park, would also worsen the trash issue inside the park, which has gone unresolved for years, and would be “visually disturbing.” ” No shit Sherlock.
China, the Arakan Army, and a Myanmar solution
“In fact, there is growing evidence that China’s ability to control the AA is limited. One reason is that the UWSA is not entirely subject to pressure from China and can sell the AA weapons made within its territory, which it controls with great autonomy.”
Properly Disposed
“When they give him a handle as a gift, ‘it’s as though some breach in my universe has been repaired, as if the arc between two oppositely charged poles has been jumped by an invisible surge. The air stills, the room grows quiet, even intensely ceremonial.’ The workers stare at him, baffled.” Nothing really to do with Southeast Asia, but an enjoyable read!
How the Coronavirus Could Take Over Your Body (Before You Ever Feel It)
If you can read just one piece on Coronavirus, this is it. Brutal.
Something to read
Chasing Serendipity: Three Days in Phnom Penh
A Travelfish reader spent three days in Phnom Penh and wrote a short book about it—I’ve not had time to read it yet, but it is free on Amazon!
Travel shot
Separation Sumba style. Photo: Sally Arnold
Till next time
That’s it from us for now. As usual, enjoy the site’s new additions and drop us a line if there’s something in particular you’d like us to cover in Southeast Asia.
Travel light!
Stuart, Sam & the Travelfish team
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