World turned upside down

This Halloween – and every night – millions of children face a night of fear. It isn't fun or exciting and it isn't a choice for one night. 31 October is simply another night facing hardship, loneliness, abuse, hunger or conflict. Six-year-old Abishek was severely affected by the Nepal earthquake that devastated his home district of Sindupalchowk back in April of this year. Hundreds of schools were damaged beyond repair and many children, including Abishek, were out of education for the months that followed.

Six-year-old Abishek was one of the thousands of children affected by the earthquake that hit Nepal on 25 April 2015. The district where he lives, Sindhupalchowk, was badly damaged; the government estimated that close to 3500 people died in the region as a result of the earthquake and the series of aftershocks that followed.

Thousands of homes were destroyed and 90% of schools throughout the country were damaged beyond repair. Over 500 schools in Sindhupalchowk now need extensive restoration work, and the damage means that Abishek and many other children have suddenly had their schooling put on hold.

We caught up with Abishek and walked with him as he navigated through the narrow hill tracks to show us the valley where his primary school once stood. Humming along to himself, Abishek sang about how things used to be, "Sindhupalchowk, Sindhupalchowk a beautiful place, small children hold hands together going to school, reading and playing with teachers, having fun and being happy."

As he wanders his way down the valley, Abishek pauses to point out a structure decimated beyond recognition and says, "that is my class.”

The morning of the earthquake was just like any other Saturday, Abishek remembers, "I was in my uncle’s house playing. My uncle told me to bring grass for the animals but when I went out barefoot to ask for the grass, my sister refused to give it me."

“So, I came back to the house and just then the building started shaking. My brother yelled ‘It’s an earthquake!’ and told me to run out of the house. While I was running, I fell down and the stone from the walls of the house fell on my head and hit me. My head got hurt and it started bleeding, the blood fell on my shirt. It was hurting a lot but I am a brave boy, I didn’t cry."

One of the casualties of the earthquake was Abishek’s grandmother, "I loved my grandmother very much, she cared for me,” he tells me, smiling sadly.

Abishek tells me that life since the earthquake is now very different. “We don’t have a house, we live in an open area and my school is closed. It was going to open soon but there was a second earthquake; the first earthquake made some cracks in our school building but the second earthquake destroyed the whole building. Before the earthquake my school made me feel safe but now it is not safe. I fear the earthquake and I am scared at night. I feel the earthquake will come again and we will die."

Makhiba Yamano, one of our child protection specialists explains that children are very vulnerable to ongoing stress after a large-scale event like an earthquake. “After any disaster people experience strong psychosomatic stress, especially children. It is normal for children to express such stress through their feelings and it is very vital that the basic needs of the children are met so they are able to get back to their normal routine."

Moving forward, Abishek hopes to study in a new and improved school, "I hope that my school will have a big playing ground where I can play games with my friends. I want my new school building to have toilets, taps for drinking water and lots of playing materials."

 Abishek’s family has received practical help from World Vision since the earthquake; shelter kits, household kits and hygiene kits. World Vision is also providing safe places for children to play and learn, with Child Friendly Spaces in the affected regions, and has been delivering supplies, including water purification tablets and shelter equipment to some of the most remote areas.

To show your support for Abishek and the other children affected by the earthquake this April, please carve a heart in your pumpkin this Halloween and text HEART to 70060* to donate £5. You can find out more about the campaign here.

*This is a charity donation service for World Vision UK. Texts cost £5 plus your standard network rate message. World Vision will receive 100% of your donation. If you have a question about your payment call 0203 287 7863. If you would prefer we didn't contact you again in future, text NOCOMMS WORLD VISION to 70060. Charity no England and Wales (no 285908).