World Vision is providing psychosocial care and support for more than 1,000 children who watched their homes and schools crumble in a 7.3 magnitude earthquake on September 2.

“Rapid psychosocial care and support for children in a disaster zone has proven to ease recovery after such a stressful experience,” said Ivan Tagor, who co-ordinates relief efforts for World Vision Indonesia.

World Vision is committed to offering children a sense of safety, structure and continuity in the midst of crisis. The agency is running safe areas for children known as child-friendly spaces, to help ease the psychological burdens children are facing after surviving the strong tremor.
 
“Many children are still nervous, confused and scared,” says Susana Srini, a World Vision officer. “They’ve been abruptly rooted from their normal lives. They have to live with many other people under makeshift tents which are very cold at night, consume poor meals, inhale dusty air, while many unknown outsiders roam around their places.”
 
Volunteers from a local social work college and a women’s association are assisting World Vision in running the child-friendly spaces.

World Vision also sent its mobile library from Jakarta to Pengalengan. It’s quickly become a favourite place for children to trade in their worries and concerns for stories that will help transport them.

“It has so many interesting and colourful books,” says Neng, a grade-six student who’s thrilled about keeping up with her reading. “Reading books can help me think of other things than the unbearable heat at the tent.”

Despite the smiles prompted by books and games, children continue to live under threatening conditions. Several displaced people have shared that children’s health has been deteriorating due to the harsh conditions at the temporary shelters. Reports say that some children are starting to suffer from diarrhea, pneumonia, skin diseases and fever.

The quake displaced more than 82,000 people and severely damaged more than 3,000 schools and 54,000 homes.