Quake Child Friendly Spaces ready to take new role in reconstruction phase

Starting on March 10, the mass migration of families in Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province (NWFP) has now picked up considerable speed. Approximately 40% of internally displaced persons vacating government-run tented villages in and around Balakot have left for their places of origin in rural mountain areas.

Waiting on the roadside for transport from Balakot camps with their few belongings, families had mixed reactions to the recently released Seismic Report declaring 600 hectares of Balakot a ‘Red Zone’, or unfit for reconstruction.

The findings were presented by the Provincial Earthquake Rehabilitation Authority (PERA) on March 29, based on reports by experts from Turkey, China and Norway.

...people are going to be more vulnerable and will be further displaced. We are focusing on building a normal life for them Yaseen Khan 45, preparing to start the journey with his family members and belongings to Paras village in the Kaghan valley said, “Come what may, we have to go. We have land and livestock and destroyed houses to rebuild. The graves of our near and dear ones are there and we have to live and die on our own land”.

“We plan to retain our CFS’s in the Balakot area while we have recently pitched tents for two new CFS’s in the Saraash valley”, said Nauman Shah, World Vision Child Protection Coordinator.

Sian Platt, World Vision Child Protection Manager added, “The new CFS’s will serve returnees as part of our long term policy to continue work in Balakot, one of the worst quake-affected areas”.

Platt added, “In view of the report submitted by PERA declaring Balakot a Red Zone, people are going to be more vulnerable and will be further displaced. We are focusing on building a normal life for them. We want to provide them with a protected environment, to identify vulnerable families and those who need assistance”.
“We will also establish more CFS’s in Saraash with a view to move further into the Kaghan and Siran valleys. We aim to raise the number of CFS’s to 20 by the end of April”, said Platt.

With about 60 official relief camps across NWFP closing, World Vision is focusing on communicating messages on the safe return of displaced families, especially vulnerable children.

The focus on education is also key and Child Protection staff believe the relocated CFS’s will play an important role in encouraging children to get back to class as well as offer an opportunity to identify out of school children.

Schoolteachers Mohammad Yousaf and Mohammad Siddique in Bhudwaar government primary school said, “Activities in the CFS have helped us to encourage children back to school since the children nor their parents were willing to send them to school after the earthquake”.

“A great change is visible in children’s behaviour after they joined activities in the CFS. They are responsive and express themselves whereas in the past they were shy and reluctant”, said Yousaf.

“World Vision’s CFS has played a very important role in school attendance as we now have around 75 to 80 boys and girls attending the school everyday from grade one to five and all of them take part in the CFS activities”, he added.

Activities in the CFS have helped us to encourage children back to school since the children nor their parents were willing to send them to school after the earthquake Community Mobiliser Kausar Bibi said of the children in a Balakot CFS, “They have been enjoying games and fun, learning hygienic habits and much more. Even we have learnt through training sessions how to better relate with the children, not only in school but also at home. It has changed our way of thinking about the children”.

Grade five student Mohsin, who lost 20 school friends in Balmphora government primary school said, “I have made new friends in the CFS and enjoy playing with them, especially the catching fish game. I also play cricket with my friends in school.

“I live in Mangal area with my sister and come daily to school and the CFS on foot. If a CFS were established in Mangal, I would be very happy to attend”, he said.

World Vision ran a total of 15 CFS in Balakot area since late October, aimed at creating safe havens where children could interact through play and informal education.