Natural Disaster Archives - Page 16 of 47

Four months after Tropical Cyclone Pam devastated Vanuatu, destroying 250 kindergartens and leaving thousands of young children out of school, the first kindergarten to be rebuilt officially opened on 14 July, enabling more than 40 excited children to return to class.

Five-year-old Paloma was among those children whose kindy was completely destroyed by Cyclone Pam.

How Cyclone Pam affected children in Vanuatu

“When the cyclone came I thought we had lost the kindy forever and I would not see my school friends anymore,” she says. “But now we have one super nice big new kindy and I have even more friends than before the cyclone!”

Young children like Paloma were particularly vulnerable after the cyclone, since Vanuatu`s Ministry of Education does not fund kindergartens, it could have taken months or even years before the community could raise the funds to rebuild their children`s schools. This is why ChildFund Australia partnered with Live & Learn Vanuatu to help local communities rebuild two kindergartens on the outskirts of Port Vila that were flattened by the storm.

Why was reopening kindergartens important?

“We wanted to ensure children in these villages could get back into a normal and stable learning environment as soon as possible, without placing further financial burden on their parents,” says Anjali Nelson, team leader of Live & Learn Vanuatu. “Families couldn’t have afforded to raise the necessary funds for the kindergartens when they also have to rebuild their homes and livelihoods.”

At the official opening, Paloma`s kindergarten was recognised by Vanuatu`s National Early Childhood Coordinator from the Ministry of Education as the first to have been completely rebuilt out of 250 preschools nationwide destroyed by Cyclone Pam. Most importantly though, children are now back to school, learning, smiling, playing with their friends, and feeling safe and secure again.

“It was wonderful to see the kids so happy to be back at school and the proud community members being congratulated on their efforts,” says Anjali. “We look forward to many more happy days ahead as the recovery work continues.”

How you can help children in disasters or emergencies

With a second kindergarten now completed and soon to reopen, our team in Vanuatu will start work on the next phase of the relief effort, supporting the families of the kindy children to restore their livelihoods.

In times of crisis, or after a natural disaster, children are among the most vulnerable. Immediate response is vital to ensuring they are sheltered and protected.

Our disaster relief efforts are driven by the generous support of our Project Humanity partners. By becoming a partner, you will help us provide children with:

Hygiene kits to prevent the spread of disease and infections
Food and safe drinking water
Safe spaces to play until they’re reunited with their families

Your contribution will also help us assist with rebuilding schools and infrastructure in affected areas. We know you are as committed to helping children as we are. Help us help those most in need today.

When two massive earthquakes struck Nepal within the space of two weeks, more than 25,000 classrooms were destroyed. Another 10,000 were left in need of repair. This prevented children, already under stress, from getting back to a regular schedule, an important process for children to overcome their trauma in emergency situations.

While schools in Nepal officially reopened on 31 May, almost one million children were unable to resume their education. With the country now in monsoon season and aftershocks still being felt, it is too soon for the full reconstruction of schools to begin.

But children cannot wait years to return to school.

ChildFund builds temporary learning shelters for children

ChildFund is supporting the construction of 60 temporary learning shelters in 32 schools, ensuring more than 5,800 children in Sindhupalchok and Ramechhap districts can return to their studies. Built with local materials, the centres are designed to provide a secure learning space that will last at least two years. ChildFund is also supporting the construction of 21 temporary sanitation facilities and repairing 13 clean water connections for the schools.

ChildFund partners with UNICEF to provide the right educational facilities and materials for children

In addition, ChildFund has partnered with UNICEF to ensure teachers have the materials they need to provide enriching classes for their students, especially while they are still overcoming the trauma of the earthquakes. These resources include ‘School in the Box’ kits, early childhood development kits, recreational kits and book bags.

School resumes for children in Nepal

ChildFund Australia CEO Nigel Spence said: “It is wonderful to hear from our team in Nepal that children in our emergency response areas have been able to return to their schooling. This has been an urgent priority for both ChildFund and the local communities. Even while waiting for the temporary learning shelters to be completed, classes were being conducted under tarpaulins or in Child-Centred Spaces. This shows just how keen both the kids and teachers were to resume their education and return to some sense of normalcy as soon as possible.”

When emergencies strike, it is critical to restore children’s access to schooling and reintroduce them to a regular routine. You can help us provide temporary teaching shelters as part of our disaster relief efforts, and restore education to children in need. Here’s some of the ways you can help:

Project Humanity: Donate to our disaster relief fund, and your contribution will help children in the immediate aftermath of natural disasters and civil crises. By joining, you are protecting the world’s most vulnerable children.
Educational Charity Gifts: You can also contribute by donating one of our educational charity gifts. By donating you will provide the necessary supplies and facilities for children to learn in the countries where we work.

Every child has the right to an education, and every child needs a childhood.

Gifts for Good

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