Living in a cyclone-devastated village in South Dagon, near Yangon, nine-year-old Ni Ni works hard to finish her chores. She cooks, washes clothes and dishes and fetches water all before noon. If she doesn’t finish in time, she might not be able to take part in her favorite games with her friends.

Most of the games at the World Vision CFS are new to Ni Ni, so she is excited about playing them.

From Bad to Worse
Ni Ni has never had much time to play. The eldest of three siblings, she had to drop out of school last year because her father’s income as a carpenter was not enough to cover the rising costs of basic commodities.

Since her mother gave birth three months ago, many more household duties have fallen upon Ni Ni’s shoulders.

"Mom told me that she can't afford to send me to school," explains the bright girl.

Then, on May 2, Cyclone Nargis made things even worse for Ni Ni. Her family’s wooden and bamboo house was completely blown down by the storm.

"The wind was too strong. At first the roof was gone and then the wall. So we had to run to a nearby house," Ni Ni recalls.

"We were really frightened. And the next few days we didn’t have regular meals as my father couldn't go to work."

Fortunately, none of her family members were seriously injured. Ni Ni's father set about repairing the house with whatever materials he could find.

"But it has lots of holes. When it rains, the whole house is soaked," she says, the smile on her face fading.

“This place gives them security”
Ni Ni is lucky to still have her family; many children were killed by the storm and many more have been left orphaned, sick or hungry in the post-storm chaos.

Myiny Myint, 28, a volunteer at the CFS where Ni Ni participates, says more than 200 children take part in the CFS activities each day. This CFS is set up at the local community library.

"This place give them security, happiness and knowledge. If such places weren't set up, these children would have ended up on the streets, roaming around in the rain," says Myint.

Ni Ni likes to play jigsaw games most; she also loves to recite poems with her new friends. "It’s so much fun, it makes me very excited!"

The centers provide recreational and educational activities including group games and discussions. Topics included hygiene awareness, child rights and physical safety. Nutritional snacks are also provided to the children.

"It would be great if places like these remained forever," says Ni Ni, who probably won’t be able to go to school when then school term begins in June.