After the tsunami struck Samoa late last month, children were especially hard hit. They were left struggling with emotions they are not equipped for nor have the experience to cope with.
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They felt grief for the loss of family and friends, as well as their lost homes and schools. Many continue to be fearful that another tsunami may come to Samoa. I have heard that some children are not attending school because they are just too afraid to leave the security and safety of their parents.
Children are under considerable stress associated with the disruption to their normal lives and uncertainty about what the future holds for them. Some children find it difficult to concentrate in class or may become withdrawn, and teachers, who are coping with their own experiences of the tsunami, may find it difficult to interact with stressed children.
The tsunami has left a deeply unsettling impact on the entire community, but particularly on its most vulnerable members.
One of the best ways to encourage children and teachers to recover and relax is through play. This is why UNICEF is supplying a number of Recreation Kits to schools close to the tsunami disaster areas.
The Recreation Kits come in a sturdy metal box and contain a range of sporting equipment and creative supplies including balls, skipping ropes, art supplies, crayons and paper. They benefit whole groups of children who can do different activities at the same time while under the supervision of teachers. When the kits are used as part of scheduled activities, they help children to return to the normalcy and security of a predictable routine. Children’s self-esteem and confidence are boosted, and positive and supportive adult-child interactions are encouraged.
The kits are already being rolled out, with plans to include 26 schools. An important part of the process is that teachers are fully briefed about the kits and how they are best used. I went with a UNICEF team to a secondary school in southern Samoa for the initial handover of two kits to the school principal. This will be followed by a teacher briefing at the school next week.
This school is one of seven hosting children whose own schools were destroyed on 29 September. The extra students are placing an increased burden on the host school facilities, so the Recreation Kits along with other educational initiatives will make a real and practical difference in the lives of these children. Another school we visited was undamaged by the tsunami, but many of the children’s homes are completely gone.
For me it was an amazing opportunity to see how something as simple as sports equipment and creative supplies are going to have a positive impact far bigger than the actual cost of the materials. The kits will not only help children recover from disaster, but they will have a similar benefit for their teachers, and a flow on effect for the community as a whole.
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UNICEF Recreation Kits use power of play to help children recover from tsunami
View a video
They felt grief for the loss of family and friends, as well as their lost homes and schools. Many continue to be fearful that another tsunami may come to Samoa. I have heard that some children are not attending school because they are just too afraid to leave the security and safety of their parents.
Children are under considerable stress associated with the disruption to their normal lives and uncertainty about what the future holds for them. Some children find it difficult to concentrate in class or may become withdrawn, and teachers, who are coping with their own experiences of the tsunami, may find it difficult to interact with stressed children.
The tsunami has left a deeply unsettling impact on the entire community, but particularly on its most vulnerable members.
One of the best ways to encourage children and teachers to recover and relax is through play. This is why UNICEF is supplying a number of Recreation Kits to schools close to the tsunami disaster areas.
The Recreation Kits come in a sturdy metal box and contain a range of sporting equipment and creative supplies including balls, skipping ropes, art supplies, crayons and paper. They benefit whole groups of children who can do different activities at the same time while under the supervision of teachers. When the kits are used as part of scheduled activities, they help children to return to the normalcy and security of a predictable routine. Children’s self-esteem and confidence are boosted, and positive and supportive adult-child interactions are encouraged.
The kits are already being rolled out, with plans to include 26 schools. An important part of the process is that teachers are fully briefed about the kits and how they are best used. I went with a UNICEF team to a secondary school in southern Samoa for the initial handover of two kits to the school principal. This will be followed by a teacher briefing at the school next week.
This school is one of seven hosting children whose own schools were destroyed on 29 September. The extra students are placing an increased burden on the host school facilities, so the Recreation Kits along with other educational initiatives will make a real and practical difference in the lives of these children. Another school we visited was undamaged by the tsunami, but many of the children’s homes are completely gone.
For me it was an amazing opportunity to see how something as simple as sports equipment and creative supplies are going to have a positive impact far bigger than the actual cost of the materials. The kits will not only help children recover from disaster, but they will have a similar benefit for their teachers, and a flow on effect for the community as a whole.
Support UNICEF’s work in Samoa