80,000 meals following 6.2-magnitude earthquake in Mamuju, Indonesia
A 6.2-magnitude earthquake shook Mamuju, on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia on January 14. Dozens of people were killed and more than 15,000 people have been displaced.
WCK’s Rima traveled from her home in Balikpapan, on the island of Borneo, to lead the efforts in Mamuju where we are now serving more than 3,600 meals each day. Rima first joined World Central Kitchen in 2018 following a devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Palu, Indonesia. She worked with our team as a translator but quickly took on more responsibilities, learning WCK operations at every level. When the pandemic hit last year, Rima immediately jumped into action, setting up an emergency response as the sole WCK lead on the ground. So as soon as the earthquake shook the community in Mamuju, Rima quickly activated to set up a kitchen.
Chef Tinus, a member of the Indonesian Chef Association, again joined the WCK Relief Team preparing meals for the community. He previously cooked meals with our team in Banten following a tsunami. Now, he’s making nourishing plates like soto ayam, an Indonesian chicken noodle soup, with steamed rice.
WCK meals in Mamuju begin with fresh, vibrant ingredients. In an effort to support the local economy while providing meals for families in need, we shop at a traditional market, Pasar Baru Mamuju. By purchasing locally, we are able to prepare meals with seasonal ingredients helping to bring comfort to people during such a difficult time.
Back in our field kitchen, Go Meh starts cooking each day at 6:30am. When the earthquake hit at 3am, she and her family immediately left their home near the beach for higher ground in case of a tsunami. Now known by everyone in our kitchen as Oma or Grandma, she makes the perfect rice. Her secret: first she parboils the rice just until the water is no longer visible, then she steams it until the rice comes out perfectly fluffy!
Every day, WCK’s local team makes meals that are served to families living in camps, first responders, and local hospitals. We are in the kitchen every day with 24 local officers from the Mobile Police Kitchen—they chop veggies, cook, serve on the food truck, and wash dishes. Chef Bayu is the chef of the Mobile Police based in Palu, but he traveled to Mamuju just hours after the earthquake.
The team has cooked some delicious meals over the last few weeks: spicy water buffalo stewed with carrots, chicken in a sweet and sour sauce, and tempe with vegetables in curry sauce with steamed rice. After they leave our kitchen, these meals are delivered across the community by local aid organizations.
To date, we have served more than 80,000 fresh meals. The community has been hit with aftershocks, and many families are afraid to return home just yet – so we will continue cooking. For updates on our ongoing efforts in Indonesia, follow us on Twitter or Facebook.
