Child Friendly Spaces

In today's blog, we wanted to share some fantastic photos that we’ve received from Tabugon in northern Cebu, Philippines. The photos really speak for themselves, children can come to a Child Friendly Space to have fun and play with other children in a safe environment. One mother said “not only did World Vision give out food, but they gave us this place. It's very nice! Lots of kids enjoying it. I'm so thankful. Even though we've been through Yolanda (Typhoon Haiyan), we're starting to recover.”

I think back to a time when I was a child, returning home with my family from a holiday to find that our house had been burgled. I remember after the initial shock, my parent’s reaction was to organise child care for my brother, sisters and me. With the peace of mind of us safe, they could begin to deal with the necessary practical work following being burgled; phoning the police, insurance company and a lock smith; and beginning to make lists of missing items.

Although the situation for many families in the Philippines is immeasurably worse than my parent’s house being burgled, parents there gratefully receive the respite from their children (whilst they are cared for at a Child Friendly Space) so that they can start to take stock, and even begin to repair or rebuild their homes.

Child protection specialist Patrick Sooma told us: “Children concentrated on drawing pictures that showed their homes before and after Typhoon Haiyan. This is great for their mums as well as the children. They have a chance to relax and relate to each other while the children are playing with toys and having fun. Parents say they worry that their kids are not safe playing at home where there’s debris and construction going on. This gives them a chance to get some work done and know the children are safe.”

World Vision launched its first Child Friendly Spaces for the Typhoon Haiyan response on 20 November at Tabugon in northern Cebu. At least 400 children took part in play and activities in tent spaces set up at the Somosa Elementary School, which was badly damaged by the storm.

Arlo Ramos, child health and nutrition specialist, helped to establish the Child Friendly Spaces in Tabugon. Arlo regularly works in Mindanao, in the southern Philippines, and has worked with children in the aftermath of several disasters. “The children say they were very scared because of the raging winds [when the storm hit]. One boy said it sounded like a big machine; he cried because he didn’t understand what was happening. Roof sheets were flying, windows were breaking, his father ran outside and was hit by debris and hurt. Their school was destroyed, so we brought in tents, educational materials, and activities to facilitate their return to school. It’s so they can go back to school and succeed. We trained their own teachers in the Child Friendly Space model and worked alongside them. These teachers will be able to carry on the work to help the children recover.”