Young children living in the western part of the Solomon Islands have faced tough living conditions and a sense of insecurity since a devastating tsunami triggered by a massive earthquake hit the area in April.
Many children lost their schools as well as their homes. Particularly hard-hit were Western and Choiseul Provinces, where more than 35,000 people were displaced, half of them children.
Catastrophic events like this can leave children with a significant gap in their education unless something is done to bring both students and teachers back to school as soon as possible. So UNICEF – in partnership with the Provincial Education Department, Save the Children and World Vision – is working to reach the affected areas with education and recreation assistance.
Since April, UNICEF and its partners have planned for distribution of 60 School-in-a-Box kits and over 100 recreation kits, and have set up temporary shelters for learning and safe play spaces.
Each School-in-a-Box kit contains supplies for a teacher and up to 80 students. Among other materials, the kits provide pens, pencils, chalk, exercise books, markers, flip charts, a blackboard, paint brushes, posters of the alphabet and numbers, and a world map.
Each recreation kit, which benefits up to 180 children, contains handballs, volleyballs, a basketball, skipping ropes and many other items.
“There are a lot of dedicated, hard-working teachers who are going out to assist UNICEF in providing the affected children with some form of education and structured play through the use of resources in the School-in-a-Box and recreation kits,” says UNICEF Child Protection Adviser Natalie McCauley. “After a disaster like this, children need to get back to everyday routines and begin to play and socialize with peers. This programme is starting the healing process for the whole community.” Read Full Article...
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