In front of OBELC, pre-schoolers eagerly await the opening of their class.
After being closed for almost two months after the destruction brought by Ondoy, at least two day care centers reopen their classes this week. OBELC in Sitio Olandes, Marikina and the Busilak Learning Center in Sitio Talanay, Quezon City, opened their respective classes with a week-long psychosocial debriefing for the pre-school children. The module designed by Children’s Rehabilitation Center for victims of typhoons and natural disasters will be implemented before their regular educational modules.
Combined class of Kinder 2 and Prep intently listen to teacher Libby, as she discusses the situation of their school and the whole community.
Children draw their experiences a part of the psycho-social therapy.
A Kinder 2 kid clearly draws his experience during the calamity.
The main objective of the psycho-social debriefing is to process the experiences the children encountered during the calamity, and help them cope with it. Children as young as 4 years old, vividly recalled what happened to their community, their houses and even their schools. When asked what are the reasons for the flooding, the children in unison shouts “there are no more trees in the mountains, the rivers were filled with garbage”, and when the teachers asked who helped them during the calamity, the children mentioned their neighbors, parents and siblings.
Kinder 1 class during their therapy session, "draw your feelings".
OBELC underwent minor reconstruction two weeks before the opening. Parents of the children in the day care center took care of the electrical repairs and structural inspection. A group of volunteers from Center for Volunteerism in the Philipines (CERV-Philippines), provided paints and together with parents took time in repainting the classroom, they also donated water purifier, electric fan and a boxful of medicine for the schoolchildren. The CERV volunteers took the blocks and other wooden play set to their office for repainting. Meanwhile, the community in sitio Talanay is rushing to finish the foot bridge in time for the regularization of their class on Monday. The foot bridge was washed out during the typhoon.
CERV Philippines donated children's books and electric fan for OBELC children.
Mr. Raymund Villanueva of CERV Philippines explains CERV's mission to the parents of OBELC. He is also a member of KODAO Production.
Volunteers of CERV Philippines, Mr. Paul Olney of United Kingdom, Erik Johnson of United States and Mr. Raymund Villanueva.
For the psychosocial therapy activities, 3 consecutive weekends were devoted to the evacuation centers, in sitio Talanay and in Brgy. Bagong Silangan. In Alabang, Muntinlupa the scheduled psychosocial activities were postponed due to typhoon Ramil (international code name: Lupit) that struck the Philippines. Many houses of the evacuees in still-flooded areas were destroyed due to Ramil’s strong winds. The flood brought by typhoon Ondoy was aggravated by Ramil.
Activity during the third week of therapy session in Talanay evacuation center.
A boy actively participates in one of the activity called "buhay pamilya, noon at ngayon" (family life, before and after). Behind him is a box ful of toys donated by the UNICEF.
A childs' work during the session clearly shows their situation, before when they lived in their house and now that they are living in a covered court.
Representative from Children's Rehabilitation Center turn over the donation of UNICEF to Busilak day care center in Sitio Talanay. The center needs to rebuild a sturdier structure. Currently, the center is made out of light materials like plywood which were soaked in flood waters during Ondoy.
Representative from Busilak-Veterans daycare center received the donated toys of UNICEF from a CRC staff.
Different images of children during the opening of class and psycho-social activity.
Aside from relief distribution in Ilocos Sur, one of the provinces heavily damaged by typhoon Pepeng (Parma) the task force will also conduct a psychosocial help facilitation training for parents and volunteers on November 15-16, 2009 in preparation for the psychosocial first aid activity for the affected children in Ilocos Sur and La Union on November 21-22, 2009.
