For many Haitian children, home is a crowded displacement camp. Children make up almost half of Haiti’s population and since the 12 January earthquake, many have been among the thousands of homeless families living in camps around the capital, Port-au-Prince.
Some 1.5 million children have been affected by the emergency, which has deepened child protection and trafficking problems and left children at risk and in need of support and protection.
Recently, hundreds of children in World Vision's Child Friendly Spaces drew pictures of what 'home' means to them and what their dream home would look like.
The activity was one of many run daily in the Child Friendly Spaces now operating in 22 camps across Haiti. The spaces give children a chance to learn, as well as a place to play with other children; to just be kids. They also help to address their psychosocial, spiritual and physical needs.
Children are among the most vulnerable in the wake of any disaster, especially one in the developing world. It is estimated that 80% of schools in Port-au-Prince were damaged or destroyed and 1,000 teachers killed during the earthquake. Prior to the disaster, approximately 40% of children didn't attend school. In addition to the Child Friendly Spaces, World Vision is helping to fill the current education gap in affected communities. The organisation is working in collaboration with UNICEF to operate early childhood development learning spaces for more than 1,000 children.
For now, each week more than 7,700 children benefit from Child Friendly Spaces, enjoying a safe space for playing, singing, dancing and drawing.
The children drew beautiful 'dream homes'. However they weren't as extravagant as you may expect from young children with rampant imaginations. A feature of almost all of them is that they are structurally sound; which, to a child who has lost everything, is the main thing.
Read more about Child Friendly Spaces here.
Watch the Haiti six months on: From rescue to recovery video here.
Read our six month report here.