Ende policewomen host school trauma-healing session after Flores quake

Ende — Policewomen from Ende Police conducted a trauma-healing visit to SD Inpres Tetandara on Saturday, 12 September 2026, using games and interactive activities to help pupils recover emotionally after the Flores earthquake, according to local radio and online reports.

The programme at the public primary school in Ende city invited children to take part in educational games, singing and group interaction designed to restore confidence and enthusiasm for learning after weeks of seismic activity. Reporters on site described a cheerful atmosphere in the school yard as students joined the policewomen in play and conversation.

In addition to the trauma-healing activities, Ende policewomen distributed nutritious food packages to pupils on the same day. One report said 98 students at SD Inpres Tetandara received the food aid during the visit, which was intended to support children facing disruption and scarcity after the earthquake.

School response and impact

Local coverage quoted school staff expressing appreciation for the visit and its impact on pupils. The school leadership said the combination of structured play, direct interaction with policewomen and the food distribution helped children feel safer and more motivated to return to normal study routines.

According to the reports, police personnel aimed to create a relaxed environment and offer simple psychological support through conversation, encouragement and group activities, rather than formal clinical treatment. The visit was framed as part of a wider effort by Ende Police to assist communities affected by the Flores earthquake.

What is known about the Tetandara session

The trauma-healing session took place at SD Inpres Tetandara in Ende on Saturday, 12 September 2026. Coverage describes policewomen leading games, songs and interactive activities to help children process fear linked to recent tremors and aftershocks.

Reports state that the children participated actively and appeared happy during the programme. The same day, policewomen distributed nutritious food packages to 98 pupils at the school, on Jalan Nangka in Kelurahan Kelimutu, Ende Tengah.

Available coverage does not specify how many policewomen led the session, nor does it detail the exact number of children who took part in the trauma-healing component beyond the food distribution figure. The articles also do not state whether psychologists or other mental health professionals formally designed or supervised the programme.

Church-linked psychosocial support

Separate reporting describes a church-based psychosocial response for children affected by the Flores earthquake, involving sisters from the Puteri Kasih congregation working with Caritas Indonesia and Caritas Diocese of Ruteng. That programme includes psychological and psychosocial support, health services and group activities such as learning sessions, drawing and colouring for children and wider communities.

The church-linked response also involves sisters from the Puteri Maria dan Yosef and Carolus Borromeus congregations, together with members of Sekami, the Indonesian Pontifical Society of Missionary Children. According to this coverage, the sisters began working with affected children shortly after the earthquake and continued their activities in stages.

Available reports do not establish a direct operational link between the policewomen’s visit to SD Inpres Tetandara and the Caritas-led programmes, nor do they confirm that the church teams conducted activities at Tetandara itself.

Earthquake context

A powerful tectonic earthquake of magnitude 7.7 struck near Flores, Nusa Tenggara Timur, on Saturday, 15 August 2026 at 04:58 WIB. The shock prompted a tsunami warning, later lifted the same morning, and caused casualties and damage across multiple districts in the region.

By 10 September 2026, the national meteorological agency BMKG had recorded 14,236 aftershocks in Nusa Tenggara Timur following the main event, with magnitudes ranging from 0.9 to 6.2. Earlier updates reported thousands of aftershocks in the days immediately after the quake, including several events above magnitude 5 felt by residents.

BMKG noted fatalities, injuries and varying levels of damage in areas including Manggarai Barat, Manggarai, Manggarai Timur and Sikka. The disaster left children and adults coping with fear, recurring tremors and uncertainty, prompting government, police and church-linked initiatives to offer psychosocial support alongside physical relief.

Sources

• RRI Ende – Polwan Polres Ende Pulihkan Keceriaan Siswa SD Inpres Tetandara
• Pos-Kupang – Gempa Susulan di Flores jadi 14.236 Kali hingga Kamis 10 September 2026, Kapan Gempa NTT Berhenti?
• BMKG – Gempa Flores Meluruh, BMKG Ungkap Hasil Survei Lapangan sebagai Basis Mitigasi dan Rekonstruksi
• CNBC Indonesia – Kronologi Gempa Besar M 7,7 Hantam NTT, Begini Analisis BMKG
• Floresa Pos