My name is Angela and I am 44 years old. I live in a village in Central Province that is a four-hour drive from Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea’s capital.
I have five children. My youngest child is four months old; he is the only one who has had all his routine vaccinations. The other four children have only had some of their routine vaccinations.
Before ChildFund Papua New Guinea came to my village, it was hard to get my children vaccinated. Our closest health facility is a one-hour walk from my home. If we are lucky they have vaccines in stock and my children receive their immunisations.
When vaccines are out of stock, the nurse refers us to the regional health centre, which is another three hours by foot.
I am not able to do the eight-hour walk to the health centre and back to my village with my children, so I just return home.
Since ChildFund began a maternal, child health and nutrition outreach program in my village, I have been depending on that for my baby to receive his routine immunisations.
I don’t worry about the long walk. ChildFund brings the health workers from the clinics to outreach sites in my village. I take my five children there.
I have been diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) and I am supported by one of ChildFund’s community health volunteers.
She visits me every day and encourages me to take my medicine. She says TB is curable and I have to diligently take the medication to fully recover.
She encourages me to go to the outreach services and get my children vaccinated.
The collapse of a dam in Attapeu in July 2018 caused flash flooding into Khied’s small village in southern Laos and spread into neighbouring Cambodia.
At least 26 people reportedly died and more than 6,000 children and their families were displaced, seeking refuge in camps.
Khied’s family lost their home and everything they owned.
The ensuing 12 months have brought many challenges, but Khied says she has emerged stronger, thanks to ChildFund supporters and the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) which helped to provide vital relief after the floods.
“Among all the misfortune there have still been some really good things that have made me happy,” Khied says.
“I’ve never felt discouraged or cursed by fate as a result of the disaster. It has made me into a much stronger person in both body and mind.”
After the flooding, Khied was worried she would not return to school. Her family was homeless and her parents had no way to make a living.
The event had been traumatic.
After their home was destroyed, Khied was dragged out with her brother and sister by the force of the water, to the forest.
It was five days before they saw their parents again.
“During the flood, I told my sister and brother to hold onto a tree so we would not float away,” Khied said. “There was so much debris like roofs, and logs and rocks that hit us.
“I had to stay alert and take care of my brother and sister so they wouldn’t be scared.”
The siblings ended up on a mountain in the forest, where they stayed overnight.
The next day, Khied saw the extent of the devastation. Debris was floating everywhere and there wasn’t a house in sight.
“I could only hear the sounds of people, injured and crying,” she says.
“I tried looking for my parents and calling out for them, but I didn’t see them anywhere.”
They spent seven months at a displacement camp supported by ChildFund Laos, where the family received the help it needed to get back on its feet.
Khied was able to return to school and is now excited about finishing her studies next year.
She says the time she spent volunteering at a Child-Friendly Space at the camp has made her more confident about the future.
“I have learned to be more courageous, to participate more, and am better at sharing my thoughts and opinions,” Khied says.
“Part of that is that I’ve been able to attend trainings on how to implement activities through the Child-Friendly Spaces project.
“This has also allowed me to participate better and play a greater role in activities at my own school, especially dancing and playing sports.
“I even play on my school’s volleyball team.”
Khied is back in school and thriving thanks to ChildFund donors who helped her families following floods in Laos.
