Merapi never breaks a promise.
Merapi is a source of life with one principle:
If Merapi flares up,
we must step aside and get far away.
At first, I felt it was just a normal eruption,
but on November 5, it was around 5 or 6pm,
the tremors changed.
I felt the land tremble.
Later that night, the tremors became more intense.
My husband says he knew Merapi was about to erupt,
because the air temperature rose and the animals started coming down the mountain.
Merapi’s voice was horrifying.
We felt the ground shake
all the way to the city of Yogyakarta.
All three doors shook heavily.
We panicked and I immediately jumped in the car to pick up my mother.
When I picked up my mother, there was thin ash.
I could taste the ash.
When we went outside, our eyes were already stinging.
Our organization, Disaster Oasis, was near a special needs school.
We helped everyone get out.
It was important not to panic and stay calm.
I didn't allow my kids outside. I told them there is a lot of ash in the air.
It will affect your breathing.
We were inside and I started talking to my kids so they wouldn't panic.
I knew my child had asthma.
I was afraid for my youngest child.
The volcanic ash also entered our homes and created layers up to 30 cm thick.
The roads were covered in ash.
We didn’t feel the ash coming from above, but from below,
because the traffic was whirling the ash into the air.
As we evacuated we saw lightning,
rain and thick ash coming from the mountain.
First I felt it in my eyes, they hurt.
Then my throat and lips went dry, causing a cough.
When we inhaled the ash it was uncomfortable.
And on our tongue it felt like we were eating sand.
My family is in the health sector, my mother is a nurse.
We had a lot of medical stock, primarily masks.
Normally we kept 2-3 boxes of masks.
Because we knew the danger of volcanic ash,
the community came directly to our house.
2010 was a unique situation.
Government had a contingency plan in place,
but despite our efforts we were not prepared for the sheer magnitude of this eruption.
At first we advised people to cover their faces with cloth
because we didn't have enough time to distribute masks.
Inhaling volcanic ash is very dangerous
because it can irritate the lungs.
It was hard to get masks, even the pharmacy was sold out.
I told my children to use masks or cover their noses and mouths with anything they could find.
My child didn't want to use a scarf,
so I created masks using fabric.
Maybe the kids were happier to wear the masks because I created them.
I made 20 for others in need.
We advise that the most important thing is to use surgical masks
and ensure there are no gaps between the mask and face.
We have to ensure everyone knows how to use them
so that if older people have difficulties putting on the mask,
family or neighbors can help.
We cleaned the house with a cloth and I got my kids to help.
Don't let the dust settle. If it's dirty, clean it immediately!
We sealed this ventilation with plastic.
Some used plastic bags. I used plastic by the meter.
If there is ash, we have to close the openings in our house.
We have to cover the food so ash doesn't get on it.
A the beginning I just wanted to preserve family memories.
But after the eruption this became a phenomenal and famous tourist attraction.
I hope this museum can help educate the local people in this area
to be more prepared and cautious.
Merapi never breaks a promise.
If Merapi wants to explode, Merapi will explode.
Don’t think of it as a disaster.
Merapi is our friend - the lifeblood of the local people.
We are all connected with this land.