Child survivors of Typhoon Bopha fear on December 21
“I hope there will be no eclipse that will happen this December 21,” child survivor of Typhoon Bopha, Jason says. This has been a Christmas hope and wish of 8-year-old Jason shared during the child-friendly space activity in Agusan del Sur.
“There will be darkness then animals and people will die. I don’t want to die yet,” Jason adds. Child survivors have been afraid and would not even want for December 21 to come.
In the last typhoon, happened almost three weeks ago, Jason almost lost their home due to the heavy rains and strong winds brought by Typhoon Bopha which later on brought floodwaters in their village. “(Typhoon) Pablo was so strong that we lost our roof. We were so wet and just prayed to Jesus that He will stop the rains and winds,” Jason adds.
Typhoon Bopha left a trail of destruction in Jason’s village. Most of the houses were totally destroyed and even Jason’s school making them uncertain on when they can be back to school. Piles of logs and muds also surround their village.
“Most families left their homes and are staying on the mountains because they are afraid of the rumors of a three-day total darkness, earthquake and flooding. Villagers don’t want to experience the same distress Typhoon Pablo has brought to them,” World Vision staff and a resident of Agusan del Sur, Yani says.
In the culmination of child-friendly space this afternoon, children draw their fears in the paper plane as a sign of letting go. “The paper plane is a child’s expression of letting go of their fears and sending their prayers to God,” World Vision’s child-friendly space facilitator Gria says.
“In most of child survivor’s artwork, most of them drew umbrellas, houses and water. This is because they are still in distress and as of the moment these children have been experiencing heavy rains,” Gria adds.
World Vision sets up child-friendly spaces for children affected by Typhoon Bopha in Agusan del Sur and Compostela Valley. It is a psycho-social intervention for children that aim to bring back children’s lives to normalcy by expressing their feelings, experiences and thoughts through dancing, drawing, singing, and playing.
Aside from child-friendly spaces, World Vision provides food, non-food, water and purifier of water from Procter and Gamble to those affected by Typhoon Bopha . World Vision targets to reach out to 10000 families in Compostela Valley and Agusan del Sur through food, non-food, water, shelter and livelihood assistance.
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