A young girl in flood-hit Aceh cried after missing out on a Quran during a snack distribution by volunteers. Storyteller Awam Prakoso, visiting shelters in Bireun and Pidie Jaya, was moved by children's requests for books and school bags instead. He promised to send a Quran to the girl.
Renowned storyteller Awam Prakoso and his volunteer team visited evacuation points in Bireun and Pidie Jaya, Aceh, areas hit by floods. They distributed snack packages to refugee children. Surprisingly, the kids asked for books, school bags, and Qurans rather than toys or treats.
A touching moment involved a girl named Putri, who sobbed and hid behind her father's leg upon learning she didn't receive a Quran. Awam comforted her by promising to send one soon. "Did she ask for the Quran? Want me to send it, sis? If it's out, I'll send a nice one later?" Awam asked, as quoted from his Instagram post on December 15, 2025.
He also cheered her up with a duck voice, saying, "Why are you yelling for the Quran? Didn't get one? Okay, I'll send it. Fist bump first. Bismillahhirahmanirahim." The girl eventually laughed. The Kampung Dongeng founder noted that the floods had washed away or damaged the children's books, bags, and uniforms. Despite the disaster, their eagerness to study and pray remained strong.
"In several spots in Bireun and Pidie Jaya, Aceh, we met kids who couldn't return home yet. Their books, bags, and uniforms were swept away or ruined by the flood. Even when receiving snacks, their simple yet heartfelt questions touched us: ‘Do you have books? School bags? And this little girl with me, though she got a package, cried because she hadn't gotten a Quran," Awam wrote. He hopes the flood-affected children can soon resume learning and playing with peers.
