wfn.org | TCN:Volunteers help children rediscover laughter after typhoon

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

>      Taiwan Church News

>3000 Edition

>August 24~30, 2009

Volunteers help children rediscover laughter after typhoon

>Reported by Chen Yi-hsuan

>Written by Lydia Ma

In the aftermath of Typhoon Morakot, adults have been busy solving  bread and

butter issues and securing financial aid from government agencies.  In times like

these, it’s easy for children’s feelings to get lost in  the shuffle and for grown-ups

to forget these little ones haven’t laughed in a while.

On August 23rd, Tainan Community College Professor Hsu Shu-ru and  some

volunteers rented cars and visited a few relief stations in Cishan  Township. They

picked up some Mintsu Elementary School students from Namasiya  Township

and led these children on a one-day excursion of Tainan City.

The children visited Anping Tree House, Anping Eternal Golden  Castle, and a

children’s center in YMCA Tainan. For a while, these children  could be heard

shouting and laughing as they ran around, got into some mischief,  and even

>argued with each other.

Hsu said the main purpose of this trip was simply to be by the  children’s side as

they discovered how to laugh again like they used to do at home in  aboriginal

reserves. She explained that aborigine children are used to high  levels of activity

in open spaces but have been confined to temporary shelters since  the typhoon.

As result, they haven’t been able to find an outlet for their  emotions.

“What these children need the most now is someone to be by  their side,” said

Hsu, who also emphasized on the importance of emotional healing  after Typhoon

Morakot. It will take a long time for wounds to heal and nobody  can fathom what

kind of emotional damage this disaster has inflicted in the hearts  of young

children. As adults focus on saving flood victims and securing  resources, the

>needs of children can be easily overlooked.

During this day trip, children found an outlet to release their  emotions as they

played, laughed out loud, ran, jumped and recovered their  innocence. However,

Hsu also recalled with heartache that at one point during the  trip, children

uncharacteristically waved at a plane almost instinctively when  they saw it fly by in

the sky. She explained that when these children were stranded in  aboriginal

reserves during the typhoon, that was what they had to do to catch  attention and

>get help.

“These children don’t know how to express themselves,  but they are fully aware of

what happened,” reminded Hsu. She said after rescue efforts  come to an end,

focus must turn to children’s emotional healing in addition  to rebuilding aboriginal

>reserves.

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