Post-earthquake in Tibet Autonomous Prefecture of Dingri | The “warm houses” above 4000 meters above sea level: children play happily

The “Warm Little House, Happy Rainbow Castle” care project supported by Shanghai’s officials aiding Tibet has been piloted in Senga Village. Volunteers are leading the children of the disaster areas in games, drawing, movie watching, playing sand games, and reading storybooks. On January 15th, in Senga Village, an安置点 located at an altitude of over 4,000 meters in Tibet’s Xigaze city, the villagers are facing a安置点 full of activities.

Senga Village was one of the most severely affected villages during the 6.8 magnitude earthquake in Tibet’s Dri County. Many houses were destroyed. While post-disaster reconstruction is ongoing, Shanghai’s aid officials are also paying attention to the placement and mental health issues of the children in the disaster areas.

The project leader, Yama, introduced to The Paper (www.thepaper.cn) that after the earthquake on January 7th, Shanghai’s 10th batch of aid officials, including Zhu Dongfeng, member of the Standing Committee of Dri County and Deputy County Chief, and Wang Haijing, Deputy Director of the Dri County Education Bureau and Principal of the Second Junior Middle School in Dri County, immediately contacted them to propose establishing a professional team to help the children in the disaster areas overcome the negative impact of the earthquake. Quickly, they recruited over 20 volunteers who speak Tibetan, mostly teachers, including eight certified counselors. With the support of Shanghai’s aid officials, volunteers brought tables, chairs, televisions, storybooks and other items to Senga Village to conduct a five-day interest course.

Reporters from The Paper saw at the安置点 that PLA rescue personnel were helping residents and children with haircuts while some residents were sunbathing outside emergency tents. Volunteers from the “Warm Little House, Happy Rainbow Castle” were leading children in games. Some children were drawing and reading storybooks while others were playing soccer on an empty field. These scenes formed a sharp contrast with the tense atmosphere of large machinery clearing the ruins in the distance.

On the first day of the pilot project in Senga Village on January 15th, Yama led 12 volunteers to conduct interest courses. She said, “I didn’t expect the first day to be so successful with so many children coming.” A total of over 80 children, ranging from just over two years old to about 11 years old, participated.

Yama introduced the interest courses while showing the children’s drawings. She said that today’s painting theme was “Draw Your World in Your Heart.” Without much guidance, many children drew images of the PLA, firefighters, and the national flag. “From these paintings, we can analyze that the children’s mental state is sunny and their perceived world is colorful,” she said.

“I am very touched by the children’s paintings and feel that all our efforts are worthwhile,” Wang Haijing said in an interview.

On January 15th, volunteer Yu Laney was mainly responsible for the children’s painting class. “I hope that through this theme, children can freely draw their imaginary homes,” she said. Some children said after finishing their paintings that they hoped their homes could be rebuilt so that they could quickly live a good life.

One volunteer named Jin Hua is a deputy principal at a middle school in Tibet’s Dazi District who specializes in psychological safety work. She originally planned to spend the holiday reunion with her own child but immediately signed up when she saw the recruitment notice for volunteers. She mentioned that before coming, she was worried that the earthquake might cause some fear among children. However, one child told her today that “seeing more and more people helping them, her fear and anxiety are slowly disappearing.”

Jin Hua also said that playing sand games is a healing and releasing process for children. Reporters saw some models of excavators, cars, dolls placed on the sand table as a group of children played around it independently. A local girl with a red face and a high ponytail actively helped volunteers clean up small chairs and then turned around to play with her friends. In an open area not far away, a group of boys were playing soccer and singing local nursery rhymes.

Yama said she hopes that through the “Warm Little House, Happy Rainbow Castle” project, parents can be at ease while busy rebuilding their homes and that in such a safe place, children can have fun and play happily.

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