Supporting children affected by floods

Lisa Meikau, 6 was born and raised in an urban settlement where different vulnerabilities, challenges and opportunities exist. She grew up in Burns Creek community which is vulnerable to flooding which saw her family affected by the recent April floods.

Lisa attends the Mercy Kindergarten School which is a few kilometres away from her house but since the flood, she has not able to attend school. Fortunately for her, World Vision assisted her community and set up a child friendly space which she is currently attending.

“I love going to school because I have lots of friends and I learn new things everyday,” Lisa says.

Since attending the child friendly space, Lisa has been an advocator to her parents and neighbors on proper hand washing and hygiene, something she learnt during activities at the child friendly space. Although clean water is not readily available for her and her family, she helps her mum to collect water a couple of kilometres away from their house to use every day.

Lisa’s mother, Maesua, is happy that the child friendly space has opened in her community.  “Lisa enjoys going to school and always shares what she learnt everyday with us and also to her other siblings,” she said.

Lisa’s parents are subsistence farmers and rely on their gardens to provide food and income for her family. During the floods the family’s gardens and their livelihood was destroyed, making it much more difficult for the family.

The child friendly space has helped Lisa’s parents and many other parents in Burns Creek provide a safe place for their children to go while they rebuild their lives and livelihoods.

Dadley, Lisa’s father, said the child friendly space has given hope to the parents and many are already thinking about the long term sustainability of the project. 

“My hope is that this child friendly space in the long term can become a kindergarten so that our children don’t have to go far away to attend school,” he said.

World Vision Solomon Islands, through the child friendly space project, is providing a safe space for children to recover from their experience during the flash floods that swept through Honiara and Guadalcanal Plains.  The project also allows parents time to rebuild knowing that their children are being well looked after in a safe environment.

On 3 April 2014 flash flooding swept through Honiara and Guadalcanal Plains affecting 52,000 people.  Twenty three people lost their lives and thousands of homes and livelihoods were destroyed.  World Vision quickly dispatched emergency aid and distributed essential items such as food, water and hygiene kits.  World Vision is also assisting with water supply, sanitation and hygiene support, livelihoods and shelter assistance and the provision of women and child friendly spaces.