Central Tapanuli, North Sumatr (ANTARA) – Vice President Gibran Rakabuming paid a visit to Barus 1 State High School in Central Tapanuli, North Sumatra Province on Friday to ensure progress of school facilities repair following the Sumatra floods last year.
During his visit, he inspected the school’s classrooms, which were affected by flooding that reached about one meter in depth last year.
“Is there only one textbook?” Gibran asked a teacher in a classroom during a teaching activity.
The teacher replied that currently, each desk and two students share one textbook.
Several classrooms at the school are showing needs of repair, as some still have corrugated iron roofs.
On the same occasion, Teti Situmeang, a teacher and the school’s library coordinator, said the school needed several weeks to clean up after the floods that hit the area in late 2023.
Many books in the library were damaged and had to be discarded since they were no longer usable.
“Hopefully, new books will be available soon and school repairs will continue,” she added.
Vice President Gibran returned to North Sumatra on Friday to directly review the progress of the flood and landslide disaster response and recovery in Central Tapanuli District, South Tapanuli District, and Sibolga City.
His visit was part of the government’s efforts to oversee the ongoing disaster recovery process, address obstacles during the transition period, and help affected communities recover quickly.
He is also scheduled to inspect the construction and repair of several facilities and infrastructure damaged by the disaster. The recovery effort aims not only to restore damaged infrastructure but also to strengthen community protection against potential future disasters.
More resilient infrastructure is expected to support regional recovery, increase regional resilience, and help residents resume safe, productive, and independent lives.
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Translator: Prisca Triferna, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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