Replying to Avatar Pengsats

This time, I need your help, Bitcoiners.

Plebs, you may have already heard about the floods and landslides that struck Sumatra, Indonesia, on November 26, 2025. The three provinces most affected were West Sumatra, North Sumatra, and Aceh.

Aceh, where I was born, also suffered a major disaster 21 years ago—the earthquake and tsunami. But now, Aceh has once again been struck by tragedy. This time it was not an earthquake or a tsunami, but floods and landslides. Even worse, floodwaters rushing down from the highlands carried millions of logs, smashing into homes along riverbanks and hilly areas.

As a Bitcoiner, I am deeply saddened to see my country like this—people losing their families, their homes and land destroyed, and their belongings swept away by the floods. This ecological disaster has claimed 1,069 lives, and the number will continue to rise, as many bodies are still buried under flood debris and landslides.

What is most heartbreaking is how slow our government has been in handling this disaster. Local governments, including the governor, have been unable to respond quickly due to very limited resources.

You may have also heard that several international media outlets have reported on how absurd and slow the Indonesian government has been in responding to this disaster, showing clear incompetence in managing the crisis.

Since the very first day, victims have demanded that the Indonesian government declare the affected areas a national disaster, so that international aid can enter—just as it did after the Aceh tsunami on December 26, 2004. Thanks to foreign aid, Aceh recovered much faster back then.

However, President Prabowo Subianto (that despicable leader) has selfishly refused to declare a national disaster. A man who was proven to have committed human rights violations during the Suharto regime now claims, in front of national media, that he is capable of handling this disaster. In reality, he has proven completely incapable.

I am furious and filled with hatred—there are no insults harsh enough for him. Recently, credible data has circulated showing that Prabowo owns palm oil companies, with thousands of hectares of plantations in the mountains of Sumatra. Forests have been cleared and replaced with palm oil plantations. This environmental destruction is what led to this tragic disaster.

Until now—25 days after the disaster, as I write this—recovery efforts have been carried out almost entirely by volunteers from various regions, working independently. The government’s role has been minimal, and when present, it is far from proportional to the vast resources they possess. Government aid has been scarce and slow. At this point, the only hope lies with independent volunteers from within and outside the region, though their impact remains limited.

The current situation is still filled with fear and trauma, as people worry that heavy rains may strike again at any moment. Victims want to return home from evacuation shelters, but a major problem remains. Homes near rivers are no longer habitable, buried under thick layers of sediment left by the floods. You can see these conditions in the attached photos.

A few days after this ecological disaster, I had the idea to open a special donation fund for Bitcoiners. However, I was afraid I would not be able to fully account for the funds. After all, I am nobody—just a Bitcoiner from a small region. I know trust is the biggest issue, so at first, I remained silent.

But today, I have no other choice. Seeing the dire situation of the victims, combined with my frustration toward an incompetent government, I have decided to open and accept Bitcoin donations, or even just a few sats, from fellow Bitcoiners here on Nostr. We know that Bitcoin is not only for storing wealth, but also for humanity.

I have discussed this with fellow Bitcoiners here in Aceh. If donations are received, I will convert the sats into rupiah to purchase equipment needed to clean homes buried in mud and to repair houses after the floods, so that victims can return to their homes. Our focus is post-disaster rebuilding.

The needed equipment includes hoes, chainsaws, shovels, tall rubber boots for mud, wheelbarrows, and other tools according to the needs of the affected villages.

I am nobody—just an ordinary Bitcoiner with a small amount of Bitcoin in a hot wallet, living in a country that is constantly struck by disasters. Doubts about trust are understandable, and this message may not even be read by many people. At the very least, this is a small effort I can make to help the victims after the disaster, with support from the beloved Bitcoin community.

If you wish to donate, any amount of sats is welcome. I will be accountable here. If you have suggestions or ideas, I would be happy to receive them. All aid will be distributed directly to the affected areas, with reports made as transparently as possible. Thank you.

Lightning Wallet address:

rotundhood441@walletofsatoshi.com

On-chain:

bc1qvg3k8qaasr8c7clucmzv895p6zwfnlqpttu0ptz7au20gcslk22ste255e

Below are several international media reports on the ecological disaster in Sumatra and Aceh. Perhaps these can prove that I am not joking. As a Bitcoiner, I uphold honesty and transparency. Don’t trust, verify.

1. ‘Everything destroyed’ as Indonesia’s Aceh grapples with disease after floods

https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/everything-destroyed-indonesias-aceh-grapples-with-disease-after-floods-2025-12-07/

2. Indonesia president expects flood-stricken Sumatra to return to normal in 2-3 months as death toll exceeds 1,000

https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/indonesia-president-expects-flood-stricken-sumatra-return-normal-2-3-months-2025-12-15/

3. Flood deaths rise to 174 in Indonesia, surge across Southeast Asia

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11/28/flood-deaths-rise-to-174-in-indonesia-surge-across-southeast-asia

4. At least 1,250 people dead: What caused the devastating Asia floods?

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12/2/at-least-1250-people-dead-what-caused-the-devastating-asia-floods

5. Sumatra floods: Aceh residents raise white flags in desperation as hunger, shortages bite

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/indonesia-aceh-flood-white-flag-national-disaster-prabowo-subianto-5610441

6. Outrage in Indonesia as government blocks foreign disaster aid to Sumatra

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/outrage-in-indonesia-as-government-blocks-foreign-disaster-aid-to-sumatra

The Condition of Victims One Month After the Disaster

On Friday, December 26, 2025, I rode in my friend’s car as we went deeper into villages severely affected by flooding in Meurah Dua District, Pidie Jaya. We passed through two neighboring villages along the way.

Exactly one month after the floods, the victims can only rely on themselves. Every day, little by little, they dig and remove the soil that has buried their homes, using only basic tools.

Some houses are buried under one meter of soil, while others are covered by nearly three meters. Some residents have already given up—exhausted and resigned, unable to shovel soil that has hardened to such depths.

Other villagers dig into their homes just to retrieve items needed to survive. It looks like a treasure hunt, but in reality they are only searching for a frying pan to cook, or basic household necessities. For now, they can only live crowded together in evacuation tents.

The flash floods that struck Aceh and Sumatra on November 26, 2025, were not ordinary floods. The raging waters carried not only mud, but also massive logs. After the water receded, soil and timber piled up, as if swallowing entire homes.

The damage is not only material. Water sources have also been lost—wells are buried and dried up. To this day, access to clean water remains extremely difficult. Emergency wells are only available at evacuation centers. Some remote villages still have no electricity.

My volunteer team and I are currently surveying the area to provide access to clean water. Several ideas are already being discussed, including the costs involved. At this moment, clean water is the most urgent need for flood victims. Water is the source of life—without it, life comes to a standstill.

If you are wondering whether a government with vast resources is incapable of handling this disaster—

I don’t know. Whether they are incapable, or simply unwilling.

nostr:nevent1qqs2nd07k559hfe88vzvzv0ynx34c0z529utkc8t4r3ktfvh3kdwqdspzemhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuurjd9kkzmpwdejhgq3q8d9qpn0csr3tgla8xvttev0vxnse2ycr7njzssf230wl8czg0txqxpqqqqqqzqmctk6

https://blossom.primal.net/2be1ce0b2502253c1a1ad8fcd62e8d494ff3f48183bae41952497909bf8bc5cd.mp4

Reply to this note

Please Login to reply.

Discussion

No replies yet.